SAO x P5R - Phantom Swords
by EnderLance
Summary: Playing a simple VR game should probably not turn out as insane as it is for Kazuto Kirigaya. It's been rigged against them from the start, in a way that even its creator had not seen coming. Now, he'll need to survive the death game, understand who that creepy long-nosed dude is, how everyone are suddenly capable of summoning demons, how the hell did he end up crossing worlds!
1. Prologue 1

Prologue I: World of Swords

* * *

"Did… Did any of you see this coming?"

"No, not at all! I-It's surprising."

Certainly, for mere mortals who are content with the simplicity of things, to have witnessed something that has come out of left field is obviously enough to surprise the masses. And certainly, unexpected best defines just what they had seen.

So far, there has been… well, mixed reception towards the clashing of both these worlds.

One, a beloved franchise in the world that has undoubtedly captivated the hearts of so many.

Another… has touched both extremes; either beloved by countless men and women or loathed outright.

Really, the fact that both these words are somehow clashing together could almost be seen as some sort of joke, yet the fact that it's a possibility and is on the verge of coming into existence is both shocking and awaited for.

Awaited because the people intend to see just how it will go. After all, two entirely different powerhouses are intending to come together, and no one could anticipate how it will turn out in the end, so all anyone could do at this point was to just wait.

But, well, some people just like to get straight into things, even before it has existed, and think up stories in their minds to entertain themselves with. And so, here all of five of them are yet again, because the Author had just decided to write another story…

Again.

"**He's been pretty excited for this, hasn't he?"** Chuckled the black dragon, unfurling his wings and picking at his teeth with a sharp claw. **"Constantly going back to the website to check if there has been any updates."**

"Well, those _are_ his two favourite franchises, and he does love a good collaboration," spoke Drake with amusement, wholly in agreement with his best friend. "_Sword Art Online_, his most favourite anime. And_ Persona 5_, his third favourite video game."

That's true.

"And already, the story has come into existence," hummed Zero, a dangerous glint in his eyes that worry both his brother and Oracle for a moment. "Hehe… This is going to be interesting…"

"Don't even think about doing anything crazy, brother."

"A-Ahaha… Oh, are we not meant to choose an 'Incarnation' first?"

That got everyone's attention, and true to her words, there was certainly a need to find a person suitable for taking on the mantle of the 'Incarnation' in this upcoming story, as is the tradition of things.

And yet, with how the story is portrayed, it feels rather… unfitting.

The story crosses two worlds, and though this has been done before, it's difficult to truly put into words as to how it should be done, or what would be the right path to take.

No, nothing is impossible.

"I have someone," spoke up Oracle, all men (and dragon) looking to her. "Hmm… They will play their role, but not in the way I think either of you will think they will. Is that fine?"

"**Ho? Well, that makes things all the more interesting,"** chuckled Snake. **"By all means… how does it go again? Ah, yes. Let us start the game."**

* * *

30th August 2022—In Another World

"…Yeah, the Beta Test is going to end soon."

"Right? Man, and I was having so much fun…"

"Guess we'll need to wait for three more months…"

Within the restaurant, a group of players converse amongst themselves about something in particular, and a figure leaning against the wall adjacent to their table simply shrugs his shoulders before promptly making his way towards the entrance, intending to take his leave.

"Ah, please come again!" The shopkeeper shouted out.

The person turns his head around and nods back at the person. No, the NPC, and opens the door. A soft chiming accompanies the swinging noise, and his footsteps clack against the cobble path.

And he is presented with the sight of numerous shop buildings and a crowd of people moving around without much care. Granted, there was no need for being so careful and whatnot, since this _is_ a game, so anything goes.

Smirking, the person starts to run down the path to his left, passing a mirror and catching a glimpse of his looks; tall, lean, handsome-ish face with black hair that went down to his shoulders. Blue tunic with a bronze chestplate and black pants.

Of course, that wasn't how he looked like. There was no denying that much, considering that this was simply a virtual world, and anything goes. But really, he doubted anyone would mind, as other players are probably masking their true identities behind façades of the opposite genders or different looks too, just as he was.

The scenery of the medieval city quickly shifts into green plains as he finally leaves the area of the city, surrounded now by the wilderness of the game's wild area, with a few boars grazing away on the grass and a number of wild mobs running amok. The vast sky stretches high above him, a mere illusion to the fact that there was another floor above him—the massive pillar of smooth rock in the distance is the site of dungeons, which connects this floor to the next.

Kirito comes to a slow stop soon enough, a small sigh as he looked around. The gentle winds that caress his face and hair is so realistic, he wasn't entirely sure if he could completely distinguish it from a breeze in the real world.

"**Thank you for taking part in 'Sword Art Online's' Beta Test phase! We hope to see you again during the official service on the sixth of November!"**

The announcement plays once more, and Kirito begins to feel his avatar losing shape, consumed by light as his virtual body becomes fragmented glass.

He stares up into the sky…

"I'll come back soon!"

And disappears, along with the rest of the world.

* * *

1st September 2022—Kawagoe, Saitama. Kirigaya Household

Waking up from his sleep with a loud yawn, Kazuto Kirigaya stretches his arms above his head in an attempt to stretch out all the muscles in his body before finally stopping, feeling satisfied.

A relatively simple boy who's lived a simple life thus far. Nothing about him in particular stands out, if only the fact that he does tend to be mistaken by some as a girl because of his face, which could stand on the fine line between boyish and girl-like, much to his chagrin. Other than that, however, nothing really special about him.

A typical Japanese boy in a sea of hundreds of Japanese people, he was really as generic as he could get; black hair, normal stature and normal height for a fourteen-year-old such as himself. The only things that may stick out about him was the fact that he had practiced kendo when he was younger, and that he was a gamer.

Well, that shouldn't really be _too_ special of him. A lot of other kids like playing games, so there's that.

"Man… Yesterday was super fun…" He said to himself as he allows the remaining dredges of sleep to leave his system, getting out of bed and staring at the table. "Now I'll just have to wait for November for the official 'SAO' service."

His gaze lingered on the helmet-like device seated on top of his desk. The 'Nerve Gear', a unique headpiece that utilizes the latest tech to be used for playing Virtual Reality games by directly projecting the wearer's mind into a simulation world—this is done thanks to the high-density microwave transceivers within the 'Nerve Gear', and that's impressive all on its own.

Think about it! Older tech that made use of VR was only ever as good as forcing the players to make use of the space around them as the game's limiting field of play. Instead, the 'Nerve Gear' was capable of building an _entire world_ fit for the player to experience, similar to a dream.

And really, he had the best time of his life. He had been part of the fortunate few to get to take part in 'SAO's' Beta Test, which was definitely the best game he's ever played.

Too bad it didn't last long. Now, he'll have to wait for November (_two_ _whole months_) for the official service of 'Sword Art Online' to begin.

Kazuto sighed, scratching the back of his neck. Certainly, there were a lot more things that he wanted to do back in the game, but he supposed that, for now, he'll just have to deal with waiting.

Patience is virtue, as they say.

*Knock knock.*

"_Hey, Kazuto_," a womanly voice called from the other side of his door, drawing his gaze to it. "_I need you to buy some groceries at the store. Do you mind getting them? I left a list on the countertop in the kitchen. I have to leave soon. Love you._"

He doesn't exactly have the chance to respond before he hears loud footsteps going away. She was being hasty, and that meant that she was probably really busy.

Well, that's fine. It wasn't like he had anything to say to her.

Sighing, knowing that there wasn't anything remotely productive that he could do in the meantime, he decides that he may as well get this done. And once he's done, he'll check the news for anything 'SAO' related.

He's just hoping that the days could pass a little quicker now. He really wants to play 'Sword Art Online' already.

* * *

He's done this before. Getting the groceries for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes, it'd be his mom or sister who'd do it. Most times, however, it'd be him because he honestly didn't mind it. Well, it _was_ a little annoying at times, but he genuinely didn't mind it. It gave him a reason to leave his room, and staying so long inside there is going to be so unhealthy for him.

So yeah. Get the groceries. A simple task in all the tasks in the world.

Not much time has passed by the time Kazuto is now standing outside of the market building, a small hum being released as he looked at his surroundings.

The day is bright, yet the winds that came with it was refreshingly cold. People in suits, shirts and a myriad of other form of clothing bustled around him, both in the market and out of it. Japan _is_ a densely populated country, after all, so he really shouldn't have been too surprised to see so many people.

Well, that's not exactly a problem. Just as long as he doesn't get into any trouble, then there was nothing that he had to complain about.

He wished he could have taken a bicycle here, but knowing that his sister had used hers to cycle to her friend's house for the afternoon, and that he didn't have a bike of his own, he had walked all the way here. Good exercise and a good way to unwind after long durations of time simply lying on his bed and doing nothing, since it's his mind that's in the game.

Well, actually it's—

…Never mind. He suddenly doesn't feel like thinking about it.

The relatively nice air puts a smile on his face, and Kazuto begins his walk back home, a bag of groceries in his right hand and humming a tune that he couldn't exactly put his finger on—unknowing of the figure trailing him.

Well, it's not like he would have noticed anyone anyways. He hadn't felt suspicious of anyone or anything, really, and it was so crowded here that he could have hardly noticed anything. Either that was his own ignorance or the busyness of things around here that played a part, but he could hardly care. All that he wanted to do now was go home, make himself a sandwich and then go back to his room.

Such was the routine for the young teenager, and while most would think that it wasn't healthy for him, he wasn't going to let anyone comment on it. Rather, he simply intended to live in the moment and play 'Sword Art Online' once the servers started running. He'd definitely be the first to get in there.

'Now, where is the road back home..?' He thought to himself as he stops at a junction that he's certain wasn't here before. To his right, some houses he's never seen before. To his left… more unfamiliar buildings. "What the heck is going on here?"

He's come here before, but he's certain there shouldn't be a T-junction, but rather a road that goes straight forwards. Did he get things wrong or something?

Shaking his head with a scoff, he decides to take the right road. He shouldn't be too worried about things, so long as he doesn't go too far off. And if anything, he could just backtrack and take the other path. That might just do the trick.

The problem here, however, is the fact that _none_ of these buildings are familiar! He's never seen them before! Granted, all of them look so generic and similar, but he knows the difference—after all, most people tend to decorate or paint their house a little differently. A small touch-up that are pretty much ignored by most people, but in his case, he could remember each houses' details very accurately.

Well, he's not trying to brag, of course, but he likes to think that it's his brain. Nothing big, really. Just… well, yeah.

"Okay, this is getting out of hand," he finally stops after the twentieth building passed. And at this rate, he's probably gone a little too far that he should've considered enough. "Where _am_ I?"

This is getting too insane, even for him. He's supposed to be going home, not get lost!

And where is this, even? He's been here for so many times, now he's somehow gotten lost? How is this even possible?

He considers grabbing his phone and using the map services to find his way back home before signals go off in his head, eyes shooting wide—

"You needn't be worried," a soft voice from behind. "I'm not your enemy."

"Hh..!" It's enough to tear his gaze away from the unsuspecting houses around him, the sheer shock that pulsates in his body enough to make him spin in place. "Who are..?!"

His voice dies into silence, however, every senses in his body coming to a screeching stop as his mind attempts to take in the sight of the girl that stood at least two feet in front of him.

Calm, radiant, mysterious. Words that couldn't come close to describing this strange girl that showed up literally out of thin air. Soft yellowish brown eyes, incredibly long black hair… and those ears are a little pointy at the end, with a purple flower tucked behind her left ear. Her choice of wear is nothing out of the ordinary, just a regular black blouse and a white skirt that was long enough that it went past her knees.

She didn't look any different like any other Japanese girls out here in Japan. He's seen a lot of girls with black hair like her, and perhaps _some_ girls who cosplay—that would probably explain why her ears look a little different.

But something about her was just giving him bad vibes. Not exactly enough to consider her hostile, but certainly more than enough to worry him.

"Forgive me for alarming you. It was not in my intention to do so, though I wasn't certain of the best way to approach you," she says, so calmly that it's just nothing short of impressive.

He gulped, keeping his voice soft as he began to speak. "Who… are you?"

"Ah, yes. Do forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Persona Vabel," she answers, making a small bow that genuinely surprises him by just how polite she was, despite the fact that she was technically stalking him. "You are Kazuto Kirigaya, correct?"

Great, she knows his name too. Though, again, since she's been tailing him since who-knows-when, it would make sense that she'd know who he is. It would be pretty unproductive for her to follow someone that isn't the one she's meant to find.

"Yeah, I am," he supposed that answering that one question for her would be the least of his worries. "Why?"

She takes a moment to think about his words, her eyes at the top corner of her eyes before she focuses on him once again. "I've come here by the orders of my master to bring you with me."

What..? A mysterious girl who was stalking him is now suddenly making demands of him out of the blue. Who in the world would think this is how things go?

Something about her words strike him as odd, and he doesn't know what to respond with. So really, the best he could do was just rely on his innate pessimism.

"Is that so..? And what if I refuse?" He didn't mean to sound so antagonistic, but given the situation that he was in, he really couldn't help how his eyes narrowed and his tone turned a little poisonous.

Surprisingly, however, it doesn't so much as faze her as it does simply make her nod her head. "Understandable. My master had anticipated this sort of reaction from you, so he is willing to allow you to return home first. However, considering how I've purposely altered the layouts of these buildings, it would be impossible for you to find your way back."

Her words take him aback yet again. _Altered the layouts_? What is she trying to say? That she used some sort of magic to make things look different?

That can't be possible… Right?

"Very well. I shall come to pick you up another day, when you're properly prepared to meet my master," she bows again before turning around, though glancing to her right. "Take this path. It should lead you back home."

"Huh?" He follows her gaze… and promptly gawks at the sight of a road that was most definitely not there just moments ago. "H-Hold on a minute, how am I supposed to believe you?"

"It would be too much to ask that you trust me, but I ask that you would do so nonetheless," not exactly answering his question, but it's pretty hard to refute too. "Forgive me for not being able to explain anything, but that is all that I can do. Until we meet again, Kazuto Kirigaya."

One final bow that is just the epiphany of proper courtesy before she goes down the road from where he had come from. And he watched her retreating back all the way until she's finally out of his vision, and he lets out a heavy breath that he hadn't realize that he was holding in.

'What was all that about..?' He thought to himself, still a little shaken up about that encounter. After all, it's not every day that you get approached by someone and suddenly asked to go meet their master, whatever that meant. Even that part was just suspicious. 'Should I do it..?'

He looks to his right, and nothing but absolute dread is in his system. Could he really go for it? It would be so easy to just take her suggestion, and just as easy to reject it and backtrack.

And he genuinely hates himself for deciding to listen to her in the end, going down the road before him.

It's almost creepy just by how normal this road looked. Nothing so out of place, simply just like an alleyway between houses. Well, not exactly an alley but just a narrow road where most people would be found feeding their cats in or—

"Huh?" And the moment he's finally out of that road, he's staring straight at his home; the traditional-looking house with a dojo to its right, completely guarded by walls with iron fencing. The trees are slim, green, and the sky is a nice shade of blue. "Now how in the world did I… What."

The need to know just how that random path opened up literally out of nowhere and without him even realizing it is just enough to put his mind into a state of panic.

Now, however, such a feeling is doubled when he looks back. And finds _nothing_.

No road. No different houses. Just a row of other houses that belongs to his neighbours.

He blinks. Once, twice, then proceeds to turn his gaze back to his house and go inside.

Kazuto puts away his shoes and leaves the bag of groceries on the table before walking upstairs to his room. He proceeds to lock his door and collapse on his bed, burying his face into his pillow and brain automatically shutting down from all the stress, yet still awake.

That was just… weird.

* * *

Night Time—5th September 2022—Kawagoe, Saitama. Kirigaya Household

"Um… You okay there, Onii-chan?"

"I'm… having a headache. And I don't know what to—"

*Thud..!*

"K-Kazuto!"

"Onii-chan!"

The ravenette lets out a soft groan after having his face rudely introduced to the table but makes no move to lift his head up. Definitely, his forehead and a good part of his face are going to be red.

Without even meaning to, he had been too lost in his thoughts over what's just transpired a few days ago, trying to understand just what happened yet still confused all the same. Persona Vabel, as she called herself, hadn't showed up in the days since, and it's only been adding more to his pile of shaky nerves.

Just what was he supposed to do? It wasn't like he had given her his contact information, so how was he supposed to find her, or vice versa?

Well, considering that she somehow managed to locate him, it might not be so difficult on her part. And she might just know where he is.

"I'm… fine," he says weakly, finally having the decency to lift his face and look his mother and sister in the eyes, a small huff expelled. "I'm just… going through some stuff."

"Are you being bullied at school?" His mother's words, God praise her, was gentle. Caring. It kind of guilted him for even worrying her. "If you are, then I can—"

"No!" His outburst was enough to take the two women aback, his expression exuding nothing but honesty. "It's not that, I swear! Just… it's a girl."

That's the best he's got, really. And technically, the issue went above _just_ a girl, but that was a start to things, and certainly the best thing that he's got.

The reactions, however, were not what he expected.

"A… girl..?"

"Girl? Wait, really Kazuto?"

Why did Suguha's eyes suddenly go blank, and is his mother sitting straighter? Is something wrong?

"U-Umm, right. It's something like that. Well, it's more complicated, but…" Kazuto ultimately sighs, resting his chin on his knuckles. "The thing is, just a few days ago, I met this girl. She wanted to talk to me about something, but about what, I'm not certain. I don't even know who she is! And… something about her is just wrong. I'm not exactly certain if I even want to talk to her, but… yeah."

Throughout his explanation, he could notice how the expressions on both his sister's and mother's faces gradually shifted; Suguha's eyes narrowed even more, and he could imagine a tick mark on her forehead. His mother, meanwhile, was probably having glitters around her eyes, slowly widening just like her mouth.

He continued, however. "She said that she'd be meeting me again at a future date, but she hadn't given me her contact information and I hadn't done anything, so…"

"…I see," humming, the woman took a moment to ponder on this. Something about this was telling her something bigger than _just a girl_ was about to happen with her son, and she couldn't help the small humming she was letting out. "Well… maybe you just need to think about her and she might come out of nowhere?"

That was said purely in jest, obviously. That's how it is for most love stories that she's seen, be it Japanese or Korean drama's that she's had the time to binge watch during her free time. Think of the girl, and she might just show up out of nowhere.

Unfortunately for her, she might have ultimately set her son down a path that he would never be able to undo, one that would ultimately change the fates of countless people in this world.

And she should have thought well and hard about her own words, because she clearly hadn't considered the fact that her son had little to almost zero experience with people of the opposite genders, nor the fact that some things are just meant to be taken as just jokes.

Kazuto was just not that sort of person. "Think about her and she might come, huh..? Alright, I'll do just that then. Thanks, mom!"

"Eh? O-Oh, sure," she was genuinely taken aback by how happy he sounded. Even Suguha was surprised. "No problem."

She watches as her son leaves his plate and glass in the sink, washing his hands in the process before leaving for his room—Suguha did say that she was going to do the dishes. He looked strangely determined, however, and she wasn't certain what to feel.

Had she spared a look at her daughter, however, she would have seen that clearly forced smile on her face along with the way her fingers were clenching the table extremely tightly, to the point that her knuckles were turning milky white.

That was not good.

* * *

6th September 2022—Kawagoe, Saitama. Kirigaya Household

A brand new day greets the people of Japan, from its northern regions all the way to its southern ends.

Kazuto gets up as usual, though lacking his typical yawning this time. Rather, he looked to be more attentive than usual, looking around his room—it might just be his paranoid mind on overwork, but given the fact that the girl he's met a few days ago had casually changed how the world looked, he wasn't planning on letting his guard down anytime soon.

Again, probably unnecessary, but he'd rather be prepared than not.

"So, what do I do now..?" He hums to himself, rubbing his chin as he sits on his bed.

Today isn't a school day because some bozo had apparently started a chemical accident during Chemistry class and caused a good deal of the buildings to get burnt down. As a result, he was suspended from school and all students weren't expected to go back to school until reparations have been done.

Well, that was fine. Even if it meant that he hadn't anything to do, it just gave him time to relax a little and think about—

*Ping!*

"Hmm?" The ringing noise from his phone is a clear indication that he just received a message, and his curiosity wills his hand to reach out for the phone on his nightstand. He chances a look at the screen, and his brows rise. "Huh?"

**Vabel**: _Good morning, Kazuto Kirigaya. I hope you are not busy._

**Vabel**: _Forgive me for not being able to text you earlier. I hadn't a cell phone of my own to use before this._

The boy blinks at the screen of his phone before silently marvelling at what his mom told him last night—that simply thinking about Vabel will end up helping him find her. And yes, this isn't really a face-to-face encounter, but this is as close as it'll get.

That's impressive. Guess his mom knows more than she lets on.

Shaking his head, he knows that he has to respond or else he'll miss this chance.

**Kazuto**: _Morning to you too. I'm here._

**Kazuto**: _Is there something that you need?_

**Vabel**: _Yes. I wish to bring you meet my master._

'Ah, right. She mentioned something about her master before,' it was a little suspicious, the way she puts it, but she must probably work someone really important or something. 'Meet him, huh? Hmm…'

So many dangers that can come out of this entire thing. He might just get mugged, or get killed… well, he supposed there isn't anything too bad that could come out of all of this, so he may as well play along.

**Kazuto**: _When and where?_

**Vabel**: _Tomorrow, in Sangen-Jaya. It is a little far, but you are required to come alone. Is that fine?_

A small ounce of suspicion bubbles inside of his gut, realizing that this was essentially putting him in a dangerous situation. Complying with her conditions would mean that he would be going in by himself, and that would just put him in great danger.

But… Well, there was something about her that made him able to trust her to an extent. Not so much to the point that he believed that he would be completely safe, but… he just wasn't sure.

**Kazuto**: _If I go on my own, then how can I be sure that I'll be safe?_

**Vabel:** _You will have my master's protection._

…That doesn't really convince him, but he doubted that there was any other option. He supposed that he'd simply have to place his faith in the girl.

He sighed, not knowing what to say before moving his fingers to type out the message.

**Kazuto**: _I'll bring this up with my mom first. I don't know if she'll let me, but I'll be sure to update you on anything else soon. Sorry._

**Vabel**: _You need not apologize. I understand. I hope to hear from you soon_.

* * *

"Oh, your friend texted you earlier?"

"Err, I'm not exactly sure if I could call her a friend, but umm… sure."

He had summarised all the text messages that he's exchanged with Vabel earlier to her mother for her to understand, though barring certain parts; he didn't need to confuse her with mentions of her 'master', whomever it was.

He had already checked the maps services, and it was genuinely concerning. A railway station of one of the most heavily populated districts in Tokyo that was quite far from his home. There were two choices; either an hour of a car drive, or an entire _six hours_ at best when using the train system.

He was definitely going to take the train, probably, considering that his mom has to leave early for her job in the morning.

His sister was already out of the house doing kendo practice in the dojo, yet for some reason, he couldn't help but look in that direction wondering if she was looking at him or something.

"Hmm… Are you sure you want to take the train? And going on your own, no less," motherly concern shows itself upon her expression, and he can't help but appreciate it. "Are you alright with this?"

"Ehh… I think I'll be fine," he waved off her concern with a simple sigh. "As strange as she is, I doubt she isn't so suspicious. I'll trust her, or at least I hope I can."

"…Well, if you say so," she can't help but feels suspicious, he could tell, and who wouldn't be? She shoots him the look; the kind that most parents use when trying to teach their children a lesson or advise them on something. "Listen, Kazuto. When you're leaving tomorrow, I want you to take care of yourself, alright? I don't want anything bad to happen to you, and if anything _does_ happen, just call me. Don't worry about me being busy with work or anything. Just call me immediately."

The sudden show of concern on her part is certainly enough to take him aback, his expression alone showing the surprise he was feeling. Other than that, however, he feels something close to… gratitude? Why is that?

…Ah, probably because she's worrying so much about him. That would make sense, and even though she's…

He shakes that thought away, a genuine smile drawing itself on his face. "I… Yeah, I promise to be careful. Thanks, mom."

"Don't worry about it," she rubs him on the head, and something about the gesture is just… nice. And he kind of likes it.

Smiling, Midori Kirigaya makes her way to her room, leaving him to his own devices. He, in turn, grabs his phone and quickly types his message.

**Kazuto**: _Alright, I'm good to come. How does 12 o' clock sound to you? _

He was just about to set his phone down and grab a glass of water before his phone rung yet again. 'That was fast.'

**Vabel**: _Very well, I shall see you tomorrow then. And worry not on where you should be headed. I shall type down the directions to our proper meeting place for you later on. Simply follow these directions and I'll be able to have you meet my master._

'Welp, that's that,' letting out a tired breath, he simply puts away his phone and commits to the glass of water.

* * *

7th September 2022—Setagaya, Tokyo. Sangen-Jaya

He did it. He actually did it.

He took the train and got here all on his own, which had greatly worried his little sister for a brief moment. Still, he had been able to calm her down enough so that she didn't worry too much about him, and that was the last thing he needed.

He appreciated the sentiment, of course, but having her worry about him nonstop would make him worried in turn, and… wow. Being siblings is complicated.

"She said that she'd be somewhere here..?" He said to himself, looking around and wondering just what he was here for. "This is certainly new…"

Countless old-looking shops, bicycles, potted plants and people—it was pretty packed in here, and the narrow paths made it hard to see and such. Still, in the message that Vabel had sent him last night, there were detailed instructions on where he should go, so he simply followed the directions.

He's never heard of this little place. There's quite a lot of people here, though, and with all the trees here and there, it added a touch of fresh green to this place that made it a lot more relaxing to be at. It's also helped by the scent of food in the air that makes it feel more at home, and he's already liking it.

The good mood is there…

And his destination is a rundown café.

"…This is probably not a joke," he mutters to himself. "I shouldn't even be surprised."

This could definitely be the sort of place that she'd want to meet him in, though that just makes it all the more suspicious. What is going to happen to him? Is he going to get robbed just as he thought?

Still, he supposed that this was better than some office or mansion. That would be a little too much.

Gulping, Kazuto steadies his nerves and enters the shop, pushing the door inwards with a soft creak. There's a little _crack_ that he hears and he cringes at how awful it was. He looks inside and isn't too surprised by what he sees; everything has aged and decayed, almost as if this place was abandoned.

He could imagine it now. The once-was beautifully tiled floors. The couches that were pristine brown and the clean white tables. The oaken counter with red-cushioned seats. An assortment of jars in the shelves that were made of the finest wood. Perhaps countless people coming by for a cup of coffee and the like. The stairs in the back are probably of darker-coloured wood, leading up to the attic.

Now, all of it has become a memory, and everything is quiet. Cobwebs have formed in the corners of the room, the walls have lost their colour. The floors have lost their constant patterns, some filled with cracks and some others missing altogether, revealing the ground beneath. The wood has become even paler, and everything else has pushed past their limits, old and unusable now. Colours have faded, some wild cockroaches run around, and he's genuinely concerned about the lack of lights, giving this place a rather ominous feel.

He wonders about how it must have been like in the past, but he couldn't exactly think about it. Rather, he wondered where Vabel was.

"You are here," soft footsteps are accompanied by rather loud creaking. He finds her descending the flight of stairs, standing there with a listless look. "Thank you for coming, Kazuto. You don't mind myself calling you that, do you?"

Funny how that's the one thing that she's worried about, and not where they are in.

They're not breaking any laws by being here, are they?

"Don't worry about it. I gave you my permission, didn't I?" He shook his head at that, looking around. "So… where do we go from here?"

"A moment, please," she says no more before she returns upstairs. It doesn't take too long before she does get back downstairs, a strange device in her hands. "Please put this on."

She holds a white-framed, headset-like device that looks like a certain device from a certain anime back in the day, which helped to analyse a being or the landscape. It certainly looked like it was made to be worn around the head, but it still didn't help that he was a little sceptical about things.

Nonetheless, he accepts the device from the girl, who simply stands in place with both hands clasped in front of her. He raises a brow, but quickly settles it around his ear. It does have an extension, an _arm_ if you would that is equipped with a projection lens at its tip and extends to his eye.

It's surprisingly comfortable, more than the 'Nerve Gear' is, actually.

"What is this?" He asks the girl.

A small pause before she continues. "The 'Augma'. A piece of VR technology not meant to exist at all within this world."

He stares at her with a deadpanning look, somehow already familiar with the absurdity of her words before sighing in the end. Knowing her, he wouldn't be too surprised if she made that up, or that _does_ turn out to be true.

"So, what do I do?" He asks her, looking around himself. Dust in the air makes him cough a little, but it isn't so bad.

"You must activate it," she tells him. "Simply speak the activation code, 'Link Start', and all shall be revealed."

Now that's a surprise. _Link start_? That's the exact words needed to activate the 'Nerve Gear' in order to play 'Sword Art Online', so… is this device the same as the 'Nerve Gear'? Considering how it might just be a VR tech as well, it might very well be the same.

Still, it can't possibly have the capability of projecting his mind into a simulation world like the 'Nerve Gear' does, can it? After all, the 'Nerve Gear' is capable of transmitting microwaves directly into his brain. Maybe this… 'Augma' can do the same to a certain extent? Perhaps it has that functionality as well, so it couldn't exactly be ruled out of the realm of possibility. But he _is_ standing, so should he—

"Ah, sorry. I guess I'm just wasting your time, aren't I?" He realized that he's probably been standing there like an idiot, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Not at all. And unlike the 'Nerve Gear', you needn't be sitting or lying down," when she says that, he couldn't help but raise his brow. Had she just read his mind? "If you would."

"Ah, right," nodding his head, he simply takes in a deep breath before speaking the words. "Link Start!"

Probably unnecessary to shout like that, but he felt like it could be justified to a certain—

His thoughts are cut off as his perception of the rundown café is all but distorted now. Everything around him _changes_, and no longer does it look how it did mere moments ago.

Just like how he thought the café would look like in its prime, it's as if time had just rewound and the café had been reverted to its state a few years back. However, something odd is happening; blue smoke is wafting on the ground, and the cloth of the couches are blue. The seats next to the counter are all brand new, and cushioned blue. To the back, where the kitchen is, a purple fridge with other necessities like ovens, woks, knives and an assortment of other things.

His mind registers all of this just as quickly before he looks back to Vabel, preparing to ask her just what was it that he was seeing… before his breath was all but taken away.

Gone was the casual dress that she had come in. Now, she was clad in a black dress with purple accents, an absurdly large 'skirt'—if it could be called one—and shorts. And so many other details that certainly made her look stranger than how she was just mere moments ago because she's definitely cosplaying.

Well, he had very little reason to call her out for such. Cosplaying isn't exactly too odd in Japan, after all—it is the country that has made a name for itself due to its rich culture and… weirdness. So really, this shouldn't be too odd. But wow, she looks pretty.

That's not weird to think about, right?

"Vabel, what is this place..?" At this point, his heart might just stop with all the surprises that he was getting, and he might end up dead after all of it. And yet, somehow, he's managed to remain sane enough to witness for himself all the impossibilities that he's certain no one else has seen.

"This is Café Leblanc," she tells him, closing her eyes. "A café that does not exist in your world, yet in another… Well, that's enough for now. Now please, take a seat."

She gestures towards one of the tables, and he simply nods, making himself comfortable and looking around in unease. The blue smoke isn't exactly nauseating or dangerous to breathe in, but it does add a sense of mystery to this café, more than it already is.

Vabel, in her mysterious dress, stands beside the doorway next to the stairs that lead upstairs, possibly to the attic. He wonders why she's just standing there and staring forwards, not at him, but simply staring off into space.

His answer comes in the form of soft footsteps that come from the stairs, and who shows up almost makes him jump out of his seat.

"Ah, you've brought him here?**"** The voice is _so_ unmatching with the face of its owner. And that chuckling was just so unsettling. **"**Hero… Welcome to Café Leblanc. Or should I say, my Velvet Room.**"**

…Yeah. He's probably lost it.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Because someone has to do it, alright? This story must become a reality!

Two entire months before the game gets released worldwide. How about that, eh?

In case y'all don't know what's down, here's the basic gist of things; two weeks ago, a friend of mine brought up the topic of a collaboration between _Persona 5 Royal_ and _Sword Art Online_, which showed up on _SAO: MD_'s Japanese twitter page. It was insane, and I almost thought it was a joke!

But no, ladies and gentlemen, it is not a joke. Literally, there's a website for the collaboration. And on 4th February, there's going to be a live event explaining the details for the collab.

Mind you, I haven't even played _Persona 5 Royal_, but I have played its original predecessor, so I can kind of write this story. Maybe.

And that's it from me for now. Not a lot of people are excited for this collab. As for me, I'm personally interested in seeing how this collab will go. Take my word when I say I'll do my best to write a story that lives up to the name of both these franchises!


	2. Prologue 2

Prologue II: World of Spirits

* * *

7th September 2022—Setagaya, Tokyo. Sangen-Jaya

Kazuto had thought that life could never ever get insane for him. He had been all the more prepared for a typically ordinary life.

Well, for someone of his situation, he supposes that his life is practically normal. Sure, his birth parents died when he was young and he got adopted into the Kirigaya family; his surname was meant to be Narusaka, but that's just a small tidbit.

Anyways, he was pretty sure that life couldn't get any crazier than how it is.

Oh, how he was proven wrong.

First off, he got to play one of the most amazing video games that he's ever seen in his life. It just finished recently, and that wasn't exactly a problem.

The crazy part comes afterwards, and not in-game, but in _reality_; literally, some girl shows out of nowhere and suddenly asks him to come with her to meet her master, whoever it is. And then, when he does end up coming to wherever he's meant to go, he somehow finds the world around him literally changing like the snap of the fingers, and he meets…

This guy.

"Ah, you've brought him here?**"** Someone spoke up as they descended the stairs, and he was prepared to greet a gentleman… and he gets someone completely different. **"**Hero… Welcome to Café Leblanc. Or should I say, my Velvet Room.**"**

In contrast to his rather intimidating appearance—he looks like a human man, though with a certainly odd look of course. Long nose, hunched back, pointed ears and bulging, bloodshot eyes, a massive and creepy smile that is permanent. He has a black suit and white gloves, so that certainly speaks gentleman—his voice is just _soft_, for a lack of a better term. Courteous and surprisingly nice.

Well, this meeting just got weird.

"I personally welcome you to my Velvet Room, Hero. I apologize for not being able to contact you directly, as I was confident that you were busy.**"**

"A-Ahaha… Not necessarily, no…"

What the heck is this? Why is he so _nice_? He looks monstrous (no offense), but has the mannerisms of a gentleman and the voice of an angel. Well, that's the best he's got, really. But man, his looks and voice are just different from his _everything else_!

If Vabel told him that her master was going to be a typical wealthy 20 years old man, he might have just believed her, even if it was technically weird for them to be meeting in a rundown café. But rather, it's an old creepy-looking dude, who makes it really hard for Kazuto to call him a human.

Maybe he is, and just has a creepy look because he's just born that way, but he isn't certain on what to feel.

And he doesn't want to say, do or think anything that may just offend the guy, so he'll just shut up—both with his mouth and thoughts.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hero. I had been hoping to have met you a little earlier, though Vabel couldn't find you a little earlier,**"** he says from where he was seated behind the counter, looking over to the girl and letting out a small chuckle. **"**Well, it matters not. I'm just happy to finally be able to meet you in the end. And of course, I am Igor, the master of the Velvet Room. How do you feel, Hero?**"**

"…Yeeaah, about that. Why are you calling me… that?" He was probably being incredibly rude to this man, but he desperately needed answers. "And where am I?"

"We shall begin with your second question then,**"** nodded the long-nosed man as he looked around. **"**This is actually the Velvet Room. This realm exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. Only those with a 'contract' may be permitted to enter this room.**"**

"In this case, it would be right to say that _you_ have formed a contract allowing you to enter this room," added Vabel.

"But… when? I don't remember meeting you or Vabel before, and I've certainly didn't write a written consent. So how is it that I've formed a contract with you?" He asks then.

"That happened following our encounter, actually," the girl chose to answer that one, something akin to excitement in her tone, though it was buried incredibly well beneath her inexpressive voice. "Within you, you possess a power, and that qualified you to become a visitor of the Velvet Room. Hence, I personally formed the contract between yourself and my master."

Without telling him first. Well, he supposed that's how things work here, but really. He's lost all energy to be surprised anymore.

Though, it does make him pretty curious. So this Velvet Room only grants entry to those with a contract, which is supposedly a _bond_ of sorts between the visitor and the master of the room, which is Igor here. It's a little odd, but nothing too hard to understand.

Yet.

"Now then, onto your first question,**"** his words is quick to draw forth the ravenette's attention, his gaze moving towards the old man with a curious look. **"**You are the Hero. I mean to call you this not to stoke your ego, but simply because I have read your person… and it seems that such is the proper term that I could ever come up for you."

Will-o-wisps burned above their heads and danced around, forming a halo of pixies before they slowly materialized into a card.

The image on it is a man wearing fine clothing and perhaps jewels, carrying his supplies on the stick-and-cloth thing and with a dog right beside him.

"The one before you is called 'The Trickster'. A human boy just like you, though he was a little older,**"** explains Igor with an impressive amount of patience, one that makes Kazuto guilty because he had the audacity to be afraid of him despite how nice he is. **"**Although…**"** He starts looking around himself, that smile still stuck on his face. **"**The state of the Velvet Room reflects the state of your heart. And for the room to be accessible by the device that Vabel has given to you…**"**

"I believe it has to do with the fact that Kazuto enjoys playing videogames, master."

"A-Ah… Y-Yeah…"

Admitting that is a little embarrassing, but he knew that it was the truth. He _is_ a diehard gamer, and he's all the more excited for 'Sword Art Online'.

Igor does not seem to mind, though, simply letting out a small laughter. **"**Worry not, Hero. I find it rather endearing, actually. To simply enjoy life and have fun as you wish… It is impressive.**"**

"T-Thanks…" Why is this bothering him? Someone not teasing him for playing videogames, huh? Damn. But still, _Hero_ sounds a little too egotistical for him. "But is it really alright to call me a Hero? Is there nothing else more suitable?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that,**"** shook his head the strange-looking man. **"**Now then, onto business. Hero, I would like to speak with you about several important details. Do you have the time?**"**

Right onto business. That's what he's come here for, and it certainly dispels the embarrassment that he felt moments ago.

He nods his head, straightening his posture as he looks the man in the eyes.

Igor makes a hum before flicking his wrist. **"**Hero… The reason why I intended to meet you is because your world is in danger.**"**

His words draw a sharp gasp from the boy, whose eyes went wide. Vabel is quiet, and several orbs of fire form themselves out of thin air before taking form as cards that now lie on the table. He raises a brow in curiosity, tilting his head even.

"These are Tarot Cards," explains the black-haired girl, as if sensing his need to know. "They are often used in a form of cartomancy, to predict a form of answer for something. A reading could be done with perhaps the same type of cards, yet the answer never is the same."

"Haha… That is how life works, don't you think?**"** Chuckled Igor, drawing a card and flipping it over, revealing a broken tower and two figures falling from the top of it. "«The Tower» in its upright position… How dangerous. This is a sign of an imminent danger in the future," he draws up another card, and it's a skull embedded on a door with small steps of stairs at the bottom. **"**«Death», upright… Many will die in what shall come to pass in the future.**"**

«The Tower»? «Death»? What sort of cards are he using?

Tarot cards? He's never heard of this type of cards before. He knows of Blackjack, Poker… Uno. is this something completely different? Is it card games or really something else different altogether?

Igor draws one final card, and the picture is that of a lantern. That's the one thing that's the clearest picture that he can make out. **"**«The Hermit» in its reversed position. It is to mean concealment, fear… Yes. This is possibly a foreshadowing to a certain form of confinement.**"**

"What the hell..?" The reveal of such has him paling, all this information hitting him like a sack of bricks. Kazuto gulps, averting his gaze down to the table as he attempts to digest everything that he's heard.

What was Igor trying to tell him..? He says that countless people were in danger, right? People were going to get trapped and they'll end up killed..?

How the hell do they know? Are those cards some sort of super powerful tool that are actually capable of predicting the future? Is what he's said actually going to happen?

He chances a glance at Igor, and this time… there's an actual frown. The corners of his mouth have actually dropped a little, forming a frown that shows that he was genuine with what he was feeling. And Vabel, too, despite her listless look, was sympathetic, judging by the way her hands seemed to clench a little tighter.

"…People are going to die?" A pretty useless question at this rate, but he needs conformation.

"Yes. When this comes to pass… then I believe that many people are going to end up dying,**"** sighed the man, his smile returning back immediately after. **"**And that is where _you_ come in, Hero. You seem to have a power within you to overturn this cruel fate and save people. The question now, however, is are you prepared for such an ordeal task?**"**

"…Why me, first off?" That has to be the most important question that he needs answered. One that still seems to elude him despite it all. "I'm nothing special, you know."

"You needn't underestimate your own strength, Kazuto," shook her head the assistant of the Velvet Room's proprietor. "My master has reached out to you because he _knows_ that you have the potential to become something greater than what you already are."

"Indeed,**"** his smile seems a little wider, if it was even possible. **"**And though I would love to speak to you about this, it seems that we are running out of time. As such, we shall send you home immediately. And worry no longer about needing to take the train, yes? Vabel here shall arrange for your… transportation, if you will.**"**

The boy looks at the other girl, who simply stares back unflinchingly. His eyes narrows, hers do not blink.

"…You're going to do that weird road-making magic thing, aren't you?"

"Yes."

Well, that answers that.

Sighing, more out of exhaustion than it was of annoyance, he simply nods back at the Velvet Room's master. "Alright, then. Thank you for… all of this, I suppose. I'll see you guys another time. I suppose I'll take my leave now?"

"Of course, Hero,**"** he made a small bow, and Vabel followed suit. **"**May we meet again in the near future.**"**

Kazuto dips his head a little for a bow of his own, leaving his seat before making his way towards the door—and man, everything looks brand new now. Honestly, this 'Augma' thing is really impressive—

"Oh yeah, I just realized something," he stopped short just before the door, turning his head around to stare at the two, who perked up at the sound of his voice. He points a finger at his face, or more specifically the device he's wearing. "I should probably be returning this to you, shouldn't I?"

"Oh, not at all. You may keep it, Hero,**"** shook his head the smiling man, extending his hand towards the boy in a gesture to allow him to go. **"**Take it with you. When you next return, be sure to wear that device, yes? Vabel here has only be capable of getting one 'Augma', after all. It will be with you, always.**"**

"I see… Alright then. Thank you," he nods again, and proceeds to leave the café, the soft jingling of bells a pleasant sound to his ears. He shields his eyes for a moment when he finally got out—the café, despite being renewed thanks to the 'Augma', is still pretty dim. "Alright, let's take this off."

He tries to take off the 'Augma' from his head, but finds it surprisingly tight around his head. He grunts a little, putting in some extra effort into unequipping this strange device, yet it remains stubbornly attached to his head.

"Forgive me for not explaining," Vabel's sudden voice causes him to suddenly yelp in surprise, staring right into her auburn eyes. "But I've configured the 'Augma' to function in a way that, once you've activated it, it will remain attached to your head. To remove it, you must simply say 'Link Off', and you will then be able to remove the 'Augma'."

"I… see," he's not going to question her lack of creativity on that part. Simple tends to be the best in a lot of cases. "Link off."

A beeping sound from the 'Augma' is a clear sign that it's been deactivated, and he's finally able to take it off. Sighing in content, he thought of putting it away before deciding to simply put it back on.

This confuses the girl, tilting her head with an odd look. "Why did you put it on again?"

"Because I'm afraid I'm going to break it," his voice is tinged in nervousness and he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "Also, if I _do_ end up activating the 'Augma' when I'm not here, what happens?"

"You needn't worry about that. I've tinkered with the 'Augma' to only allow change your cognition of this café," she gestures to the building from whence they had just come from, and it's returned to its broken state.

"But… that's impossible," he narrowed his eyes. "You said it changed my… cognition, is it? That means how I _see_ things should have changed, yet all my senses were changed too. When it was broken and I walked inside, I could feel how uneven the floor was. And yet, when I activated the 'Augma', it all felt brand new."

He's a natural thinker who just can't help but let his mind wander, realizing just how odd this entire situation is. There is _some_ semblance of logic to things, but other than that, he just can't really make heads and tails of this entire situation.

Perhaps there is more to just mere cognition change, but… well, he wasn't certain. It might just be, because Vabel has reverted to her earlier dress, and the café returned to its ruined state. Still…

"…You are sharp," her voice is barely audible, yet he was able to hear her speak nonetheless. "Regarding your question, I can't exactly answer you just yet. But all of that aside, shall I send you home already?"

'She's dodging,' that's impressive. Really, really impressive, hot damn. "Alright. Where do we go?"

She doesn't say anything more than a simple 'This way', taking him down an alleyway that he _did_ see earlier. Only this time, rather than there being a dead end, there was a clear path straight towards several buildings; a sight that he's certain only he and Vabel could see. But it's nothing short of impressive.

This time, he's not too surprised and manages to take it all in stride. He stays calm and walks with her, hands in his pocket.

This time, however, he _does_ feel something. A small interruption in the spatial field, like walking through a thin web string made by a spider, hanging in the air and barely brushing his skin.

And there he is again. For a second time, he's standing before his home. Only this time, he's in front of his house… with a girl.

The thought makes him gulp. As long as he quickly goes in and bids her farewell—

"Huh? Onii-chan, you're home already?" Suguha's voice is loud, footsteps rapidly approaching him. She's clad in kendo gear, face and neck wet; a clear indication that she had been doing some training. "You got back pretty fa… Eh?"

"Ah, you must be Kazuto's sister," his head snaps towards Vabel, eyes wide and sheer shock. She hasn't left yet?! The girl bows a little, ignorant of his current dilemma. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Persona Vabel, a friend of your brother."

She just called herself his friend so easily! Is this even possible?

For some reason, however, he has a really bad feeling inside of his gut as he looks at his sister, whose eyes immediately narrow upon her introduction.

"…Suguha Kirigaya, his sister," she introduces herself as well, though with clear disdain in her tone.

What is going on?

* * *

7th September 2022—Kawagoe, Saitama. Kirigaya Household

What is going on?!

"Ah, so you're Kazuto's friend! Nice to meet you, Vabel. I'm Midori, but you can just call me Auntie, yeah?"

"Of course, Auntie."

And how is Vabel so quick to adapt to this entire situation?!

The entire situation is strangely tense to him, and he's only managed to ignore part of it only if he tries to focus on the subject of the 'Augma' and anything else, but he's forcefully dragged back to reality because of his sister's huffing, or Vabel's voice.

His mother doesn't seem to really mind, though, quickly taking to the mysterious girl while the latter was just making small conversation with her, accepting a cup of tea. Suguha accepts a cup of her own while passing Kazuto his own, to which he simply nodded before taking a sip from his drink, not caring how hot it was.

Honestly, he never thought that he'd be bringing a girl over to his home, much less someone he didn't know. Well, he's already made the assumption that Vabel was some otherworldly being, and Igor was definitely on the ethereal scale as well, though perhaps to a greater extent.

"So… you and Kazuto are going to work together for a project?" She asks. "What sort?"

"Something important yet confidential," coolly answered the strange girl, sipping from her tea without any form of expression. She sets her cup on its placeholder, staring at Kazuto. "The reason why I've come here is because I intend to immediately educate Kazuto pertaining to our project."

"Huh?" She had said literally nothing to him earlier, and the surprise that shows itself on his face is nothing but genuine. "Wait, what? What do I need to know?"

She doesn't choose to answer immediately, but instead reaches into her handbag—that was definitely not there mere moments ago, he swore!—and pulling out a stack of… cards?

Suguha was the first to make a remark, her voice nothing but confusion. "Cards? You're… going to play a game together? Are you joining a competition, Onii-chan?"

"Not the typical playing cards that you're accustomed to, Suguha, I can assure you that. Rather, these are—"

"Tarot cards…"

His mother had already retreated to the kitchen to brew another pot of tea while the three teenagers (he's just going to assume that Vabel's a teenager too, though she _does_ look a little older than the both of them) remain at the dining table.

She spreads the cards across the table and flips them to reveal their identities. From left to right, up to down, beginning from a zero all the way to a twenty-one.

"«The Fool»," she says at the top left card, then points at the bottom right. "All the way to «The World»."

"Huh… Are these cards meant for games or something?" These cards definitely play a vital role, that much he was certain of after watching Igor do all that magic stuff with these cards.

"Not necessarily. They're mostly prominent in divinations and predictions, though there are several games that make use of tarot cards," replied the girl. "What you see here now are the 22 Major Arcana of the tarot cards. The trump cards without suits. They will play a vital role in our project, Kazuto."

"That so, huh..?" Crossing his arms, he attempts to digest all this information before nodding. "Okay. From what Igor showed earlier, each card holds a significant meaning. «The Tower» meant doom, while «Death» was quite literal. There's twenty-two cards here, so that must mean each one has their own meaning, huh?"

"Indeed. While it isn't compulsory for you to memorize the meanings of all twenty-two cards, which would technically be forty-four meanings as the cards could either be upright or reversed, thus projecting two separate meanings for each card," that causes the boy to sigh in relief, and she could understand why. That would be extremely trying for anyone, really. "Simply understanding the basics behind each card and how it might just define a person will indeed assist you in the future."

"I see… Is there anything else that's important that I should know of?"

"Not at all."

"Uhhh…"

Hearing Suguha's broken voice, the other two simply stare at her, noticing how she was simply keeping her gaze plastered on the cards.

Yeah. He agrees that was just too much info, and that hurt his head to understand.

"For now, just keep in mind that there will be a time for whence the Major Arcana shall play a vital role in your future endeavours," she tells him, stacking all the cards and then passing them to him. "Keep this. If you'd like, you'd only need to call me and I will be willing to help you in understanding anything."

"Suuureee…" He couldn't help the deadpanning tone, but given his current situation—he's literally the only one besides Igor and Vabel to know that the world was in danger, if their words was to believe. And he doubted they were lying in the first place—he should at least have a valid reason to just want to hit his head against the wall. "…Thanks, Vabel."

"Mm," she nodded before suddenly standing up. "Nonetheless, I thank you for your hospitality. Do pass my thanks to your mother as well. I shall be taking my leave."

Before Suguha could say anything, her brother had beaten her to the punch, standing up as well. "Oh, you want me to walk you back?"

"You needn't. I pride myself in being rather quick, after all," she would have liked to accept his offer, but she wasn't planning on troubling him too much. Plus, it must have been exhausting for him to stay in a moving box for six whole hours. "Farewell."

And just like that, she takes her leave through the front door, completely ignoring the deadpanning look from Kirito and the strangely relieved expression Suguha had on her face.

* * *

When night came around, Suguha had been the first to take her bath because her brother wanted to get some rest and watch some television, while their mom decided on chopping some fruit for them to eat.

Leaving her bedroom, the young girl sighed, the irritation inside of her lingering from earlier today.

Honestly! She knew _who _made her as mad as she was right now, but it still perplexed as to _why_ it still continues to bother her all the same.

'She's just Onii-chan's friend. Nothing more than that,' even after telling herself that, she just can't help but feel a little annoyed—scratch that, she felt _really_ annoyed. 'What's her deal with him anyways? So strange…'

You know how, when friends come over to your house, they sometimes bring along a gift like a basket of fruits or a plushie? Well, Vabel did the same thing too, and that's totally fine. No, what the problem here is, is the _gift_ that she gave them.

She comes over to their house and gives Kazuto a _deck of cards_. Just what was she trying to do?

Unfortunately, said 'present' has been in her brother's hands the entire day, and he's been spending his time actually reading up on tarot cards.

He's been pretty interested in the subject, though. And, knowing him, he's probably trying to memorize the meaning of these cards. And generally looking more… lively.

Now she knows why she's mad. He's actually interested in all of this.

Suguha was not blind. These past few years, their relationship could be described as rocky, as he hadn't exactly talked with her and stuff. She, of course, doesn't hate him for it whatsoever, but this distance just felt unnatural… it scared her.

He had been so quiet, so listless all these years. And for some girl to just march into his life and just… make him talk more. To suddenly make him _think_ of her…

How did she do it?! She's been his sister for all these years, and she barely got him to smile! Well, she did on few occasions, and Kazuto hadn't exactly smiled at Vabel whatsoever—he had that 'I give up' look most of the time when talking to her—but he acts differently with her.

He offered to _walk her home_!

Whoever that girl was, she was dangerous, and she'd better keep a close eye on—

"Hey Sugu."

"Eep!"

Rapidly spinning around with a loud squeak, frantic black eyes met equally-coloured irises that looked back in quiet amusement.

She took a moment to regain her composure, blinking twice before letting out a sigh. "Jeez, Onii-chan! I didn't need you to scare me like that, you know?"

"Sorry, sorry. I just needed to tell you something," he says with a small chuckle, eyes easing a little and hand on his hip. "Sorry about today. Vabel's… a weird one, though that does make me a hypocrite. She's not bothering you, is she?"

A weird one—he got that one right.

She was almost like a doll, no offense. So quiet, so polite and unresponsive. She was really pretty, though, and Suguha was pretty impressed that her brother somehow became friends with her. Or is it the other way? All the same, while the girl did strike her as odd, she's just that. And his friend.

"…No, of course not," a lie on her part, obviously. But seeing her brother's smile like this… she couldn't find herself saying anything bad about Vabel, even if she personally didn't like her or anything. Her brother's smile was refreshing, and she merely wears her own. "It's fine, really."

"Yeah? That's good to hear," his sigh of relief told her enough to know just how much he's been worried about that, and she genuinely couldn't help but find that cute. "Anyways, I think I'm planning to hit the library tomorrow. I'll be telling mom too, of course."

"Huh? Why's that?" Asking that, she leans against her door and stares right at him.

Her brother merely shrugs his shoulders, holding up a deck of cards in his right hand. "I'm planning to do some extra reading at the library. There might be some things in there that I could make use of to understand all of _this_ a little better. Major Arcana, she mentioned. An interesting topic, for sure."

There it is again. The topic of the arcana has him strangely interested in it, and she can't help but envy Vabel.

Years of kendo training under their grandfather's tutelage hadn't done its job to make him love the sport. So he had chosen to drop kendo, which angered their grandfather quite a lot, yelling and hitting her brother countless of times.

It's why she had chosen to take his place instead. Swearing that she would work extremely hard to fill the space that he has now left empty, to become the kendo prodigy that her brother had been placed onto a pedestal to be.

Kendo hadn't suited him. And when that VR game came out, he had immediately stuck to it; she had no qualms with that, of course. His interest in video games had started a long time ago, after dropping kendo, so she simply respected his decision.

But now he's having fun with something else, and it involves _another girl_. God, this is stressful. Being a little sister is hard.

"I-I see. Well, I hope you have fun tomorrow then, Onii-chan!"

"And I was hoping you could come with."

Their voices coming out at the same time should have made it difficult to understand one another, yet they were able to comprehend each other despite it all, surprise adorning the younger Kirigaya sibling's faces.

"Eh? You want me to come along?" She blinked, not having expected that.

"Ah, yeah. I just thought… that it'd be nice," at this, he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, averting his gaze to the ground. "We… haven't really gone out together for quite some time, huh? Plus, I need someone to knock me straight before I lose my mind and whatever. Are you busy tomorrow?"

Suguha had pretty much been rendered into the state of a statue, so shocked over what she heard that her mind simply played his words on loop.

He… wanted to go out with her? He was considering it because they hadn't gone out together for a long time?

That… made her happy. The consideration on his part warmed her heart, and she found herself smiling widely, not noticing the small flush on her cheeks.

"S-Sure! I'd love to come with you, Onii-chan!" Chirped the girl with an excited tone.

This, too, makes him smile a little wider. "Great! I'm going to tell mom after this," before he completely leaves however, he does end up gazing around to meet her eyes, a gentle smile on his face that was wholly unforced, it froze her in place. "Thanks, Sugu."

A simple thank-you. Nothing more, nothing less.

But it does end up making her red in the face, and that gives Kazuto enough reason to laugh at her.

Well, if that makes him happy… No! That's unfair!

* * *

8th September 2022—Kawagoe, Saitama. Kawagoe City Central Library

He's visited the public library here only once before, and he has to admit that it's incredibly nice. It's in the area of Sankubocho, and with the number of houses here, it made sense that there were a lot of people, so it kind of made moving around a little difficult.

Still, the Kirigaya siblings managed to navigate the streets and find the library. The building was pretty easy to spot amongst the rest; it stood out thanks to its red paint and large build, so all that mattered was getting through the crowds of people.

Japan is always busy. Probably the same for all other countries.

"Gotta' be quiet," he whispered to both himself and his sister, who nodded back. "Okay, let's go find a place to sit."

When the two of them entered the library… he really shouldn't have been too surprised to find that it was full. Literally, there was people _everywhere_, reading books that ranged from biology to fun trivia. Some kids from schools hanging out together, a few adults doing work, and a small number of dudes… playing cards.

He almost wanted to go over to them before he realized they were playing _Uno_. That made him facepalm.

Right. Like anyone in the world would play with tarot cards.

'Where are we going to sit..?' He thought to himself, looking everywhere to find a decent place to sit. All tables were occupied, the computer stations were full, and just about every other place that he could think of being comfortable was taken. 'Just great. I brought Sugu all the way here too. Actually, where is—'

"Onii-chan," she says quietly, tapping him on the elbow to get his attention. Smiling, she held up a particularly large tome. "Ta-dah..!"

"Ooh, _The World of the Arcana, the Complete Dictionary_. Not bad, sis," patting her on the head elicits a few giggling, but she does stifle it well. He looks around once more, and finds a spot. "Alright, follow me."

Together, the two waded through the library and people before they reached their destination; a table quite far from the rest of the shelves and whatnot, which provided this place quite a suitable amount of peace and quiet.

The only problem now was the fact that it wasn't as empty as he thought.

Suguha beside him tensed, and he could understand why. He thought the table was empty just earlier! Someone probably blocked her from his sight or something.

Focused, quiet, calm. The girl had chestnut-coloured hair which had eloquent braids and knots that he couldn't understand, but it does give off a wealthy aura. She's dressed in a simple white dress with a blue sweater along with a blue skirt.

'What is his luck with women?!'

"Umm, excuse me."

He… was surprised that he had just talked to her. He felt that, in most normal situations, he would have just gone somewhere else. He wasn't one for conversation, after all, so this is just plain weird… but not bad. Just weird.

"All the other places are full, and your table's pretty free," he tells her, making sure to keep his voice low, or else the librarian would kick him out. Librarians can be pretty scary. "Can my sister and I sit here?"

The lass switches her glance from between him to his sister, then back to him and finally nodding. "Sure."

"Thanks."

"Err… thank you."

Sitting down opposite of the girl and next to each other, Suguha gently lies the large tome onto the table, its weight almost making the table creak. The girl in front of them quirks a brow but quickly returns her attention to her own book, not wanting to bother them.

Kazuto appreciates this and begins to flip the pages open. "So… where do we begin?"

"What do you need to know?" His sister asked in turn.

"Hmm… I'm not exactly certain, but there's definitely got to be a reason why these arcana are involved in this project I'm part of," he put a hand to his chin, gears in his head already grinding. "Let's see… How are tarot cards often used? Let's start there."

The two begin flipping pages, to its frontmost pages and the two read silently together.

"_In cartomancy, tarot cards can be used to define three things; a person, an event, or you, the target,_" begins the younger ravenette. "_Within the twenty-two Major Arcana, each holds a meaning of its own—upright or flipped, it can mean something positive or negative, or both. All the same, however, it is important to understand what each one means, and that you find a correct answer at the end of it._"

"Huh, this book's more poetic than I thought," snorted the boy, a small nod of agreement from his sister. He flips the pages a little more, landing on a picture of a familiar card. "«The Fool». Let's see… _The ultimate trump card, either a zero or a twenty-two._"

"_It stands to mean extravagance, jolliness, blissful of ignorance. When reversed, it means negligence, apathy and carelessness,_" read Suguha before leaning back into her seat, crossing her arms. "So there really are two meanings for each card…"

"I guess it makes sense. Something positive can be twisted to become a bad thing if not managed properly," hummed the boy in thought. "Think about it. For example… This isn't «The Fool», but anyways. A priest is a symbol of purity, yeah? He places his faith in his god and the light. But mere blind faith is wrong too, and that can lead you to a certain ruin."

"Whoa… That's interesting."

"Definitely. Wait, what?"

The two siblings look over to the other occupant of the table, whose eyes were wide and hand snapping over to her mouth, not hiding the redness of her cheeks however.

"S-Sorry," she muttered, dipping her head a little low in a bow of sorts. "I-I didn't mean to bother you..!"

"No, no. It's fine, really," he shook his head. "Trust me, even I'm curious about what this stuff's all about. Hey Sugu, try to find another one. Any which is find."

"Umm, sure," complying, she flips the tome a little better, noticing how the other girl was focusing intently on her now. Great. "Okay, here's one. «The Chariot»."

"_«The Chariot» is a sign of triumph and victory despite whatever challenges stand before one's way. In its purest form, it evokes the meaning of triumph and trouble. Reversed, and it means riot and defeat,_" he hums at this, spotting another section. "_A person defined by «The Chariot» is hot-headed, emotional. They are someone who can bring forth victory, but can easily lose sight of themselves when praised by many. They risk themselves, both in mind and in society's eyes._"

"Huh… Someone who brings victory, but is easily manipulated by their own emotions…" The rich girl looks at the page from where she sat before looking at him directly. "If you don't mind me asking, why are the both of you reading this?"

"Ah… It's for a project with a friend of mine," he didn't notice how his sister's eye momentarily twitched at the 'friend' part. "I generally don't know what to read on or do, because I'm pretty much left in the dark, though I don't mind. This is pretty interesting to read."

"Yes, it is," hummed the girl with a smile. "I wonder… what would I be?"

"What would you be..?" Immediately, he grabbed his deck of cards from inside his bag and begins shuffling through them. Both girls watch him curiously before he spreads all twenty-two cards on the table. His hand somehow reaches out to one card and flips it over. "This is… «The High Priestess», number two. Sugu."

"Got it," quickly flipping the tome, she finally reaches «The High Priestess» section. "_A person defined by «The High Priestess» arcanum is capable of solving problems where others would fail miserably. Within you is the key, even if it is not obvious._"

The male ravenette nodded his head, crossing his arms. "So that answers my suspicion. You must be a really smart person, huh?"

"Eh? O-Oh, no! Not at all!" She clamps her mouth shut and the three look out to see if the librarian was there or not. A large sigh of relief is quickly replaced by a pout. "Don't say that about me! You don't know if those cards are true or not."

"I don't know, but I like to think that they are," shrugged the boy. He grabs another card and flips it around. "«The Lovers». Sugu, this is for you."

"Me? Umm, alright-y then," a little surprised by that, she does end up flipping the pages again until she reached the appropriate part. "_«The Lovers» arcana is simple. It represents one's love for another, thus labelling them a lover. It could represent love… l-lust, s-sex, and m-m-marriage?!_"

"Hmm… yeah, that all does make sense," how dense he must be, to not notice how his sister was practically a tomato at that rate. "Love is pretty vast. Virginal love, simple and plain. Then there's sex, emotions, and marriage too. But it doesn't have to mean that too. Simple love for someone too, like a friend," he looks back at the page. "_If one evokes «The Lovers» card for themselves, it means that they are the lover—for the moment or always. You are either in search or already have found someone to love. You will certainly act based on your emotions, no matter where that leads to._"

"How interesting… So I'm «The High Priestess», and your sister's «The Lovers»," humming, the girl then looked at her. "What of you?"

"Me? Well, I suppose I can try," nodding, he searched a card. For some odd reason, he can just _feel_ what is right and what is wrong, and his hand ultimately settles on… "«The Fool»? Odd."

"Odd? Why's that?" The other girl's curiosity does its work to snap Suguha out of her embarrassment, though she's pointedly trying to not look him in the eyes.

"«The Fool» is pretty self-explanatory. The card represent both the beginning and the end, taking the spots of zero and twenty-two. As a person, it's someone who's jolly and careless, literally a fool," eyebrows furrowed, black irises draw themselves to all the other cards. He flips all of them around, all twenty-two tarot cards now on for display. "Of all the cards, why am I «The Fool»..?"

"Umm… I've a theory," his attention now shifts to his sister, who has a thoughtful look on her face. "You know how, years ago, you stopped kendo?"

"…Oh, God. Yeah, I guess I did," bad memories of the times back then has him shuddering for a little, but he presses on nonetheless. "What about it?"

"I think… your decision to choose to be free from kendo, to do what _you_ want to do instead of being told to by grandpa… Maybe that's why you're «The Fool»?" Her suggestion is accompanied by traces of hesitation, as if she was unsure of herself. "You didn't care back then. All that you cared about was your own happiness, so…"

Silence reigned over the table as Kazuto pondered over her words, his lack of response making her nervous and the other girl to watch his expression in curiosity.

It doesn't take too long before a silent 'Ohh..!' to leave his lips before a smile flits on his face. "Yeah, that makes sense! Huh, that's a little weird. I guess it _kind of_ makes sense, but that's a little much, even for me."

"O-Oh? That's good," if she had offended him in any way, she was pretty certain that she wouldn't be facing him anytime soon. "But if you weren't «The Fool», what would you be?"

"Hmm… Probably «The Hermit»," he pointed at the card, and that gets the other two girls to giggle. He, too, chuckled along. "Hey, it's true, isn't it?"

"Snrk..! Yeah, you do hang out in your room a lot," chuckled his sister in agreement. "Well, that's fine. At least you're out of your room now, huh?"

"…Yeah, I am," at this, he's calmed down enough to realize the truth of things, and he simply smiles in joy. "I'm out of my room."

"Hmm… Oh, it's time," at the rich girl's voice, both of them turn to look at the clock on the wall, noticing that it's already afternoon. "I've piano classes after this. I do apologize for bothering the both of you."

"And again, it's fine. Having you around made things a little more interesting. Plus, we learnt something new about you in the process," grinning back, the boy offers his hand. "Kazuto Kirigaya."

"Eh? Oh, Suguha Kirigaya," hastily added his sister.

"Ah, Asuna Yuuki. A pleasure to meet the both of you, Kazuto-kun, Suguha-chan," she takes his hand and shakes it before replicating the gesture with his sister, though noticing the slight hesitation in her movement. "Well, I should be going. Will the both of you ever be coming here again?"

"Ehh… Maybe, but we can't exactly be too sure," saying that, he grabs his phone. "How about this, we'll just exchange contact info. Sugu, you too."

"Oh? Got it."

"Very well then."

After exchanging contact information, Asuna pockets her phone and bows yet again. "Once more, it's been a pleasure to meet the both of you. Let's meet again in the future!"

"Yeah, we heard you," waving back at her, the two siblings watch her leave before he lets out a sigh. "Man, we've been in here for so long… Want some ice-cream?"

"Ice-cream?!" Her eyes shone like stars in that moment, nodding her head so quickly she might have just given herself whiplash at the speed she was going. "Yes please!"

"Haha, fine," patting her on the head as he laughed, he pushed the chairs under the table before grabbing her hand. "Let's get out of here. Oh, wait a minute."

One large book borrowed, an eyebrow raised from the librarian, ice-cream with his sister and a new friend made—today turned out pretty good.

And the days to come were going to be just as great.

* * *

6th November 2022—Kawagoe, Saitama. Kirigaya Household

"Hahaha! Onii-chan, you were supposed to hit down, not sideways!"

"L-Lay off! It was a nervous reaction! I didn't know what to do!"

Seriously, Whack-A-Mole is such an awful game! Those pesky critters just taunted him, peeking up and down, so quick that he couldn't land much hits on them.

God, he hated them. They're the living embodiments of «The Devil».

Many a day has passed ever since, the days becoming weeks and the weeks becoming months. He's been getting along well with his sister, which was something that even his mom took notice of. They go out together a lot to either buy groceries or hang out, and they simply spend their time together a lot—more than they ever have before, anyways.

Sometimes, they'd head to the library and meet up with Asuna. They'd talk together for a bit and sometimes head out for a drink or two. She would bid them farewell and go back home, and the siblings would return home as well.

Vabel had showed up at their homes quite a number of times as well, occasionally helping them understand the arcana a little better while simply enjoying the peace in their home. They'd talk about an assortment of things, and she would return back to Café Leblanc.

All was well for him, he realized.

'And all of this begun from meeting a long-nosed man and his assistant,' he thought with silent amusement.

Kazuto isn't one to believe in Fate usually, but he supposed that this could just be one exception. And it's great.

He hadn't the chance to meet with Igor recently, as Vabel had told him that it 'wasn't time yet'. While that certainly sounded ominous, he supposed that he could wait a little longer, just for the hell of it. Plus, this entire time, he'd had the opportunity to hang out with his sister and friends.

When his sister had managed to calm down a little from her moment of laughter, she turned to look at him with a little smile. "Anyways, all of that aside. Onii-chan, you're gonna' play that game of yours later, right?" She asks him, getting a nod. This, in turn, puts a pout on her face as her cheeks swell outwards. "One o' clock, huh..? I've kendo training to get to today, and I don't have a 'Nerve Gear' of my own. Man, this sucks!"

"Haha, don't worry about it. I'll be sure to finish as quickly as I could," he chuckles back, mind momentarily returning to the floating castle in the sky… though not with much admiration as it did before. He certainly enjoyed being there before, but his time spent with his sister here meant way more than he realized it did. Definitely the same for her on that end as well. "I'll prolly' finish around seven in the evening. No, for you, I'll cut it down to six. How's that?"

"Mmm… Five."

"Ooh… You drive a hard bargain, but very well. Five it is."

Serious tones turned into laughing once more as the siblings parted ways from there; Suguha off for her kendo training and waving back to her brother, who stood outside and waved her off with a smile on his face.

Seriously, he thought. That girl is too much, but he just can't help but love her.

Nonetheless, he returns to his room and lies down on his bed, putting on his 'Nerve Gear'. Even with the excitement of going back to the world from three months ago, his mind was more focused on what he wanted to make for lunch later on. His mom will be home too, so that'll mean more food to make.

Smiling through it all, he shouts the words that he remembered were once used for the 'Augma'. "Link Start!"

Within Café Leblanc, the interior of it begins to shake, as if a slight tremor had just passed. Vabel bows to her master and leaves through the front door; rather than the typical road street, however…

"It seems that the story has finally begun,**"** said Igor to himself, his gaze nothing but determined. **"**I can only pray for your success, Hero.**"**

Countless other worlds are connected to a single location by a thread of fate, by which it would then become the birthing grounds of countless souls bearing power untold.

Hours later, upon standing in the plaza of the starting city of the first floor amongst thousands of other players, all of whom were staring up in shock at the cloaked figure of Kayaba Akihiko who had just announced this world as a death game, dawning realization finally struck Kazuto, or Kirito in this world, like a bullet train.

Igor's prophecy of a great danger that would befall his world.

His foreseeing countless people dying.

His prediction of people being trapped.

How ironic. That the game he wanted to play for fun ends up being what kills everyone.

When Kayaba had faded away, and the people started panicking, he stares blank-faced to the sky and shouted—not with fear, but with the strong need to bash his head into the ground.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

The cards are in place, and the story has begun.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

And thus, the beginning to this weird story that I hope only ages well.

The collab's video is tomorrow by the time I publish this chapter, so that's one thing to look forwards to. Also, go listen to every _Persona_ music. They're great (Q OwO Q).

Also, writing battle scenes is not part of my forte, so don't expect so much out of that, yeah? I'll do my best, obviously, but just saying.


	3. Beginnings in the Castle

Chapter I: Beginnings in the Castle

* * *

6th November 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

"This… has got to be a joke."

'You can say that again.'

The irony. The bloody irony of the entire situation is not lost on him, and Kirito didn't know whether he should be laughing or cursing to the sky right now because quite honestly, he's very certain that he's lost at least half of his ability to think anymore.

Seriously?! Igor's prophecy of people getting trapped and dying turns out to be 'Sword Art Online', the _video game_, which ends up turning into a death game?!

He understands now that tarot cards are not meant to be underestimated. Those things are so damned powerful. To predict a catastrophe that is meant to happen months from that day was nothing short of impressive.

Still, what the hell was he supposed to do? All that Vabel did with him was talk about cards, and nothing more! She essentially told him _nothing_!

'Urgh, this sucks,' silently groaning to himself, both for his stupidity and because of the lack of preparation that he has made, he simply looks to the maroon-haired man standing beside him, the background filled with screaming and terror that it gets him to cringe. 'Damn, things are bad right now…'

Supposedly, around 500 people have already died, either because they accidentally died in the game or someone attempted to remove their 'Nerve Gear' from their head. The 'Nerve Gear' is then programmed to launch a dense microwave attack to their brains, thus killing them on the spot.

That, too, is just ironic. The very microwaves that are sending them into this world is also capable of killing them. Kayaba, that bastard.

'First, we need to deal with all this chaos,' he thought to himself, unable to tear his gaze away from all the panic. 'What do I do..?'

Had Kirito from months prior been put in this present situation now, he might have just opted to run away and simply ignore them. He would prioritise getting stronger over their problems, because he understood that that was the only option that was both pragmatic and logical—in this world, strength meant everything, and being strong to climb these floors were going to mean more than anything else.

And yet… right now, he just couldn't. His heart wouldn't allow it, and his legs wouldn't move.

It's odd. This… This empathy. This sense of understanding. Why does he care so much about them?

Perhaps it was because he was scared, and they were equally terrified. Who wouldn't be? They're basically trapped in a different world with their life in their hands. If they wanted to get out of here, they basically had to fight through the floors and get to the hundredth floor. And they were literally separated from their families.

Looking around, he does spot some pretty young players, even if this game technically had an age limit. This is definitely going to end up as more than just traumatizing for them, especially.

'I… I need to do something,' he decided then, tapping his friend on the shoulder and getting his attention. "Klein, I need your help. You don't mind?"

"Huh? Uhh, sure, I guess," nodded the man with a confused look. "What do I do?"

"Just stand right where you are, and play along," he says, taking a few steps away from his friend. Kirito takes in a deep breath, more so to calm down his palpitating heart than his actual need to breathe (this _is_ a virtual world, after all) before he begins unsheathing his starter sword—

*Shing!*

And an incredibly loud slash resounds throughout the plaza, immediately silencing everyone's screaming, their attention now on the source of the sound.

Right there, a boy with black hair has his right hand outstretched towards his left, sword in his hand, the gleam a clear sign of it having used a «Sword Skill».

That… was probably the dumbest thing that he could have done. But he didn't know what else to do to get everyone's attention!

"And that's a «Horizontal»!" He shouted, almost as if he were trying to get everyone to hear him. He sheathes his sword and looks at his friend, who was blinking at him. "Anything else you need to know?"

Please let this work, please let this work, _please_ let this work..!

"…Oh!" It took some time but he finally got it. Yes! "Can you teach me some other easy «Sword Skills», man? It would be really important if I could at least learn a few!"

Kirito silently thanks his friend for his understanding before nodding back. "Sure. But what sort of weapon are you even planning to make use of in the future? I'm planning to go for a one-handed sword. You?"

"Uh? Oh, what is my weapon then?" He asked, drawing out his blade and showing it to Kirito.

He already knew what it is because, when he first started out, Klein had approached him and asked him for some help, somehow having identified him as a Beta Tester. Hence, they got to experiment with some stuff at first, so that at least got him a headstart.

Still, for the sake of this play, they simply have to play their roles, and that would be enough.

"Yours… is a one-handed curved sword," he answers, having remembered several «Sword Skills» for that one. Just a bit, though. "Try «Reaver». To activate it, you place it on your shoulder and lower your body a little. Then, you leap forwards in a straight thrust. Give it a try."

Klein nods back, and thanks to Kirito's guidance from earlier today, was able to pull of the attack with ease. "Hah!" He shouts, drifting through the air like a missile before coming to a stop. He does put on a wide smile at the end of it, though. "I did it!"

The black-haired boy grins back, ready to walk over before he gets approached by someone else. "Hmm?"

"H-Hey, dude. You must be a Beta Tester, right? Can you help me too?" Asked a short lad, holding a pretty large two-handed axe. "I'd really appreciate it if you could help me out!"

"M-Me too!" A girl in a brown tunic stepped forwards, nodding. "Please teach me!"

"I want help too!"

"Yeah! Please teach us, man!"

"You need to help us too!"

Immediately, like a swarm of bees to honey, everyone started flocking over to the black-haired boy, who raised his arms and gave off a nervous smile as he was suddenly overwhelmed by all these players.

Klein walked over to help distance them from him, something that he appreciated. He looked back to the players, staring into all of their eyes, and nodded.

"Alright then. I may be a sword-user, but I'm pretty confident that I've memorized all the «Sword Skills» for all weapon types," he says, a determined look on his face. "Okay, who's ready?!"

"_We are_!"

* * *

That went swimmingly.

Throughout the day, Kirito spends his time helping the other players through the motions, understanding how the game works and some of its features. Luckily, everyone were patient enough not to overwhelm him like they did earlier, though they were pretty excited to have him teach them.

It's odd, teaching people how to play games… but it wasn't a bad feeling, though. It felt pretty nice.

Klein had met up with his friends, and all of them together decided to help him with the sessions, which at least lightened the burdens on his shoulders. Six people altogether, with Klein being their frontmost guy, possibly the leader of the bunch.

They looked like good people, that's for sure.

"Man, I am pooped…"

"Definitely, but you did such an awesome job, dude!"

Grinning back at his friend's compliment, Kirito simply pulls out his water canteen and begins drinking before returning it to his inventory, sitting at a bench in the plaza.

It had all gone pretty well, and with Klein's and his friends' help, they were able to get it done by six. Oh, damn. An entire hour after his promised meeting time with his sister.

Granted, four hours sound like a pretty short time for him to be playing 'Sword Art Online', but he _did_ promise to meet his sister. And now that he can't, he's definitely going to owe her tons of apologies once he gets out.

_If_? No. _Once_ he gets out. That much, he'll make sure of.

But man… for how long it'll take them, he wasn't sure of that part.

"So, K-dog," the boy raised a brow at that nickname, but didn't make a move to comment. "You planning on going anywhere? If you want, you can hang out with us."

"Hmm… A nice offer, but no thanks. I've a place to head to," he says in response, looking out to the exit gate. "Horunka Village. There's a pretty hard quest there that rewards you with a pretty good sword. Plus, I don't know what to feel about hanging around a bunch of adults."

"Hey, look at that. You can be pretty sarcastic when you want to," snickered the redhead before tapping on some buttons. "Then how about we become friends?"

A friend invitation is sent to Kirito, who blinks at the notification before smiling, tapping on the blue button to accept.

"Don't get the wrong idea, though. We technically already are… but thanks all the same," nodding, he got up and raised a closed fist. "Let's meet again in the future. Hopefully, during the boss battle so that I get to flex my skills at you."

"Hah, we'll just have to wait and see by then!" Laughing, Klein simple fistbumps him back before waving the boy off. "See ya', Kirito!"

Kirito waves back before breaking into a sprint towards the exit. Once more, the stone and street turned into a stretch of grass and flowers, a boar up ahead cleaved apart in one fell swoop as his blade cuts it apart.

He's no longer in the Safe Zone. He was putting himself out here on the field, danger at every corner and ready to kill him at any given time.

And yet, he just can't help but smile through it all, the sheer determination pumping in his veins carrying him forwards.

'No matter what,' he promised to himself, to Klein and his sister. 'We'll make it out! No matter how long it'll take!'

All that he had to do now was play the game!

* * *

8th November 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Horunka Village

Okay, this shouldn't be reason enough to douse out his spirit, but it was certainly more than surprising.

When he had done his training session with all the other players, he had recognized not a single face here. That's to be expected, obviously, considering that everyone here were now wearing their real faces; not virtual masks as they had been, but their _actual_ faces back in reality.

Something of which he would never understand why Kayaba did it, other than for the sheer sake of his own twisted sense of humour, he supposed.

That aside, however, he now had six faces in his memory bank; Klein and his friends. Yeah, he only added Klein to his friends list, but he generally hoped that those guys liked him enough to consider him a friend too, and vice versa.

Nonetheless, nothing had put a brake on his plans. His momentum hadn't stopped, and he had kept going through it all, slaying several monsters on his way to Horunka. A thick forest awaited him, northwest from where the Town of Beginnings was. He had found the place.

And… everything is turned on its head.

Scratch his earlier surprise. This is downright _gobsmacking_.

In the game, each player are designated a coloured cursor—a green cursor indicates a normal player, while a player who has committed PK (Player-Killing) is granted an orange cursor. The orange cursor will remain in place for a few days at best, but if the player continuously kills other players, then the orange cursor will become permanent.

As for NPC's (Non-Player Characters) in the game, they won't have any cursors whatsoever. Sometimes, they might have quest indicators above their heads, but other than that, nothing else.

So the person standing right outside of a house, just beside a fancy-looking door with blue smoke wafting from it, having no cursor above her head whatsoever, is just downright shocking.

"What the… Vabel?"

"Ah, Kaz—I mean, Kirito. A pleasure to meet you again."

The last time he saw her was literally two days ago, when she had come over and requested some tea because his mom made some pretty great tea—he agrees with her on that sentiment, totally. But why is she here, and how come she has no cursor over her head?

She's also here wearing that unique black dress that she has, which strangely looks fitting for her. Though, considering the medieval setting of this game, it's a little strange for her to be wearing that, as she looks like she came from the future, or some fantasy world.

"You're… here," he began, unsure of what to make of this. "In this game."

"I am," she nods back. "I did promise to help you, did I not?"

He sweat-dropped at that, not sure if she did make such a promise before, but that's semantics he supposed.

"So, you see now, that the prophecy my master had foreseen that day has become true," she says, and the seriousness behind their current situation makes him draw in a sharp breath in anticipation. "Truly, the situation at hand is not exactly a good one."

"You think..?" He'd apologize for that snarky remark, but he couldn't help it. "What do I do now, Vabel? Err, I mean…"

"No worries. I have entered this world using my real name," shook her head the girl.

His earlier look of surprise turned into a deadpanning stare. Seriously? Just using her own name?

And _entered this world_? Well, that sounds suspicious indeed.

"Should you even be here? You're putting yourself in unnecessary danger," he quips, crossing his arms.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Kirito, but I am more capable than you think I am," chuckled the girl. "Believe me when I say this. I can protect myself all the same, and knowing you, you will be there to protect me as well, won't you?"

"I… Damn it," she got him there. There was no way he was going to let her get killed, knowing that she was basically facing the same amounts of danger as he and every other 'SAO' players were. "Fine. But what are you doing here anyways?"

His question reverts her smile to her normal emotionless look, nodding. "To answer your question, my master has commanded that I assist you in your journey. And I personally want to help you as well, to be honest."

"I… see," that was surprising. Not what he expected whatsoever, he'll give her that. "Thanks, I guess. But all of that aside, what should we—"

"_Eehhhh_? Kii-bou, I didn't think you already had a girl! If I had known, I wouldn't have bothered you!"

"Hmm? Is this your friend, Kirito?"

'Uhhhhhhh…'

This cannot get any worse.

No, it can.

His body turns around like a clunky, mechanical device, slow and stiff. In his vision, now, an auburn-haired girl wearing a cloak, with whiskers adorning her cheeks and a teasing smile right there.

"Well, well! It's been some time since we met!" A wide grin on her face and a cheeky expression altogether, this certainly matches the person he was thinking of. "Caught news about what'cha did back at the starting town. Not bad!"

"It was… I didn't know what to do and panicked," admitted the boy without a shred of shame, staring back into his friend's eyes with a clear sense of understanding between the two.

"Hmm, yeah, I guess I can understand where you're coming from… But hey! Who do we have here?" She's suddenly dancing around the other girl like a serpent, her voice so sharp and wavy at the same time. "You seem to know Kii-bou quite well."

"I do," nodded the girl. "I have met him in real life, and had entered the game with him as well."

"Oh, you did? I see, I see," nodding, she turns her gaze over to the boy—there's a glimmer in her eyes that is barely noticeable, but it certainly spells out curiosity. "Aren't you going to introduce us to each other, eh?"

"Why don't you do it yourself..?" He muttered quietly before shaking his head. Better he get it over with or else she'll do something to him. "Vabel, meet Argo. She's a Beta Tester and a friend of mine whom I played with during the Beta stage of the game, and the best information broker there is… although she's pretty volatile. You might want to be careful with her. And Argo, meet Persona Vabel. She's… a friend of mine I met IRL. We started a project of sorts, but that's all there is."

"Ehh? Is that so?" While his description of her was a little _too_ on-point, she supposed it's fine. "Well, nice to meet ya', Vabel-chan! I'm Argo, and as Kii-bou here has said, I'm the best information broker there is! If ya' ever need ta' know anything about anything, then I'm your gal!"

"I see. Very well, I look forward to working with you," bowing, she then turns her attention up towards the sky, noticing how it's getting darker. "Night will come soon. Though I wouldn't mind staying up with the two of you to train and whatnot, would it be preferable if we turn in for night?"

"Hmm… Yeah, I guess that would make sense," nodding, he pointed to a building in the distance. Both girls follow his gaze, all the way to where an inn was. "We can book two rooms in there. Argo, Vabel, the both of you will share rooms. I'll get one for myself. We'll talk in mine."

"Ehh? But what about we save money and—"

"Understood."

Pouting at the other girl's agreement, he silently thanked her for being able to keep her calm and simply accept his decision, unlike the trickster that is Argo.

Huh. Wouldn't she be «The Fool» then? Hmm…

* * *

6th November 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Horunka Village, In an Inn

The sky is swallowed by the darkness, marking the end of the first day as everyone settles in for the night. NPC's return to their homes, players search the city for any inns or camp outside in the wilderness, and Kirito removes his chestplate, sighing in relief as he sat on his bed.

No joke, this place is really cool. With how it's surrounded by so many trees, thus making it so calming and natural, it makes for a really comfortable place to live in. Plus, not many monsters spawn around here, so that's a bonus.

'But that's not what matters,' he shook his head of his thoughts, understanding what really matters right now. 'It's to get out, no matter what.'

That was the goal in the end. Getting all 9000+ players in 'Sword Art Online' out, no matter the cost.

These people, they're all just like him. People who have homes, have lives, have _families_. He, too, has a sister, mother and father of his own, and they're waiting for him back home. Perhaps they're praying for his safety, and were that so, then he would accept such prayers, and promise to get back as quickly as he could.

Still, one hundred floors… That's nuts. How long is it going to take, he wondered…

*Knock knock!*

"_Kii-bou~! We're here!_"

"_Yes, we are here._"

He doesn't know what sort of entity thought it was a good idea to pair him up with two girls but decided to push that thought aside, unlocking his door and allowing Argo and Vabel—both of whom were dressed in sleepwear, or whatever was close to such—to enter his room.

"Oof!" Argo had claimed the bed for herself, sprawling her body all across the mattress before turning onto her side, shooting her a smirk. "My bunker."

"Then the wall is mine," snorted the boy, leaning against the wall close to the door. Vabel, then, chose to take a seat. "So…"

…Damn. He didn't think things far enough.

Granted, this is just the first floor so there might not necessarily be a lot of things for them to do, but it still felt odd not having a proper plan.

All he could think of doing was levelling up and beating the bosses, but those are the major steps. As for the minor ones, however, he was lost.

"Let's talk about how things are as of currently," he began, finding that an acceptable topic for now. He turned his gaze over to his information broker friend, crossing his arms. "How are things, Argo?"

As expected, she frowned. And a frowning Argo meant serious business. "Not good, I can tell ya'. Lots'a players have already accidentally died in the game, which leaves about nine thousand players and more alive. People are certainly going to be afraid to venture out into the wilderness after this."

"Damn… Yeah, I guess that makes sense," sighing, he scratched the back of his head. "Who would have thought, huh? Some videogame ends up trapping us all inside, and we have to win the game or else we die in real life if we get killed in this one. What was Kayaba thinking..?"

"It's no use, Kii-bou. Bastard's probably watching us from his computer or something right now," snorted the girl. Her gaze does become morose, however, a sharp contrast to her usual jolliness. "And for what..? Some _game_?"

To that, the boy hadn't a definitive answer of his one, just as lost as she was. He knew that Kayaba must have had his reasons for doing whatever he did back then, but for him to simply play with their lives like this…

Once they get out of this game, Kirito swore he was going to track down Kayaba no matter how far he went and… do something terrible to him. He wasn't sure what, but yes.

"All of that aside!" With her energy returning once more, the other two people in the room looked at the girl. She had her attention focused on Vabel, her gaze sharp and curious. "Following our introduction earlier this afternoon. Vabel-chan, how come you don't have a cursor, eh?"

Kirito silently glances over to his fellow Beta Tester, and honestly? He feels nothing towards her but respect.

Definitely, she asked a good question. That was something he was wondering about too, though he hadn't exactly thought much about it following Argo's sudden arrival. It's pretty curious how she's able to not have a cursor. Is she not a player?

Actually, never mind. He could somewhat predict what sort of absurd answer she was about to give.

She's definitely going to use some weird reason, he just—"I used an illegal technique unknown to anyone else to enter this world."

…He knew she was mysterious, and she wasn't even trying to hide it. Only this time, it also sounded ominous.

Despite her casual answer, it does get the other player to blink back in surprise. Argo speaks up after her brain managed to reboot enough. "Err… and what method are we talking here?"

She looks at the information broker for a solid five seconds, blinks, then says the forbidden word. "Magic."

Yeah, of course she'd go for that. And she's technically not wrong.

"…You better start believing it, but Vabel here is no ordinary girl," finally getting to say that with a heavy sigh has just lifted a burden off of his shoulders, one that he didn't even know he had. "I don't know who or _what_ she is, but she's certainly unique. I'll give you that."

"Thank you. And yes, it would be hard to define me as you would for any other human being," she nods back, and the two stare at her with looks that didn't give anything away.

As if to emphasize on that part, she raises her hand in the air… and a flicker of fire sparks to life, catching the mousy girl by surprise. Kirito, however, wasn't too surprised, considering that she is an attendant of some otherworldly room and serving a mysterious man.

The information broker blinked for a couple of times, staring at the spectacle. "What the… There's no such thing as magic in this game. You're serious, aren't you?"

"I am, yes," she nods, dispelling the flames with a small wave of her hand. "I am, as some would prefer to put it, _ethereal_. Though I am also quite similar to a normal girl in several regards, should you choose to ignore that little detail."

_Little_? Yeah, he's pretty sure that being able to use magic, warp worlds and trespass boundaries that separated realms from one another should be considered _little_!

For the love of God, this girl is either too airheaded to really understand the normalcy of things or is just doing this for the kick of things. Then again, considering that it's Vabel, he's leaning more to the former option.

"…Yeah, this is definitely going to take a while to get used to," surprise in her tone and expression, it all soon turned into that of a surrender. "Well, I don't know much about you, so I guess we'll just have to take the time to learn more of you, yeah?"

"Learn each other… Yes, that sounds nice. I accept the proposal," she's smiling once more, and the other two players realize how radiant she looks with it. It's a small change, but with it a great impact all the same. "And it's with that, I wish to accompany the both of you in your journey. Kirito," the boy hummed, looking at her. "There are a lot of things that I haven't explained to you, and for that, I'm sorry. I can only ask you to be patient, and simply work as hard as you can for now. In the meantime, I shall stand by your side and work hard to assist you in your journey."

Confused, lost, and utterly tired. These were the sort of feelings that were going through the player known as Kirito right now.

Seriously, he knew next to _nothing_, and he had simply thought himself to be crazy to believe in Igor or whatever. But it turns out true, and right now, he doesn't know what else to do.

But screw it. If the only way to get out of here was to work as hard as he planned to…

Kirito fixes a determined look on his face and nods back at Vabel, steeled black orbs staring into equally onyx ones. "Got it. I'll do my best, and I hope to have you watch my back as well. And Argo, you don't mind hanging out with us?"

"Heh, why'd ya' think I came over? Of course I'm coming with you guys!" Snickering, she lifts her hand and forms a thumbs-up. "You can count on me too!"

Working with other people… Yeah, he _definitely_ would not have done this months prior. Hell, he was a freaking solo player.

But he'll have to admit, this is nice too.

"With that over, I believe I shall take my leave for now. A good night's sleep shall do us well. Farewell," she does a bow before leaving the two on their own, shutting the door behind herself.

Argo raises a brow as she watches her leave, only speaking up when she was finally gone. "She's a weird one, huh?"

"She… means well," that's the best he's got, really. She isn't a bad person, just quirky. Like Argo over here. "Anyways, she's right. We should get some sleep first. I'm planning to take a quest first thing tomorrow. It's the one that gives the Annealed Blade. You want to come with?"

"Ooh, I remember that one. Yeah, it's with all those difficult plant monsters. Little Nepenthes, I think," shuddering, she shakes her head. "No thanks. I think I'll sit this one out. I'm gonna' snoop around the village and the city to get some juicy info. If you need anything, just message me!"

She clicks on some stuff and takes her leave. Before he could call out to her, a notification sound beckons for his attention, and it's a friend invitation from Argo.

He sighs at this, but simply accepts it nonetheless.

First things first, sleep. Everything else will come later.

* * *

1st December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Dungeons

The first day in 'Sword Art Online' kicked off without a hitch. Or he would say that if it didn't involve with all living players becoming living vegetables in the real world and facing possible death if they do end up expiring in the game, the fear of which had kept a number of players holed up in the Town of Beginnings.

Thankfully, that number wasn't exactly large, as players found the determination to leave their safe space and attempt to grind on monsters, levelling up.

And as for Kirito, he was doing just peachy.

"I still can't believe that you're already [Lvl 6]. What did you do?"

"He has been grinding nonstop on the Little Nepentheses and came up with an interesting theory to cheat their spawn rate and allow himself infinite training."

"You don't have to say it like that, but yeah, she's right."

It's pretty interesting, really. In fighting a group of Little Nepentheses, he could then leave the grounds and return to the spawning grounds, thus triggering the spawning of said monsters. Sometimes, he'd be lucky to get a Little Nepenthes with a fruit, which when damaged would release a scent that attracts lots more Little Nepentheses.

That would have been a suicidal move for any ordinary player, but thankfully, he wasn't foolish.

Well, he _is_ «The Fool», but that's beside the point.

Thing is, the spawning grounds of these suckers are occasionally in pretty tight spaces. What _does_ work, however, is the fact that once they've chosen a target, they're not letting them go whatsoever. Their best tactic is all about surrounding, and Kirito had, at times, almost gotten surrounded himself. Thankfully, however, he had been able to avoid such a fate, having gotten to multiple clearings to take them all out.

Nothing impressive, really. Utilizing wide-ranged «Swords Skills» such as «Horizontal» helped a lot. He was also capable of moving faster than they were, be it in terms of actual movement speed and reaction time, granting him countless windows of opportunity to either claim some distance or strike back.

The fruit-bearing Little Nepenthes are pains in the sides, and he has to be incredibly careful of them. They're not any different in terms of abilities or level, but their ability to summon more monsters is dangerous. Still, nothing so terrible has happened thus far, and he simply thanked his luck for that.

So at the end of it all, he was now sitting at [Lvl 6], which he felt is pretty good, all things considered.

Argo's just [Lvl 2], though that's understandable given that she had allotted most of her points to her speed, so she's not much of a fighter. Vabel, due to her _powers_, isn't exactly registered as a player of this game, so she's incapable of utilizing certain game mechanics—such as the menu, inventory or having her own level.

Curious. She certainly is an anomaly in this entire situation.

"So, what are we doing here again?" He asked Vabel, who had brought the other two players here, though without any form of explanation.

Her lack of answer at first isn't so unusual now, and having observed her for so long, there are little signs that give off what she's thinking—when she's looking around, it's a means of considering her words. Sometimes, her eyes would narrow perhaps a centimetre. A minute change that means something is bothering her.

Right now, she's merely thinking of what to say before nodding, then turning her gaze towards the two. "I've actually come here before, and this place seems to be the dungeon that leads to the boss room."

"Wait, really?!" A sharp gasp is followed suit by quickly claiming her shoulders, shaking her around. "Are you serious, Vabel-chan?!"

"I am. This is indeed the dungeon that shall take us to the boss room, should we proceed," calmly answered the black-haired girl. "However, that would not be advisable, for the boss is higher levelled compared to us."

"Yeah, that makes sense. It would be pretty risky to just go in on our own," scoffing at that, he shakes his head before looking back from where they came from. "We should leave. Probably tell the other players about this place too. We can then formulate the plans from there."

"Then leave that stuff to me. I'll get every player in Tolbana for the meeting," quickly answered Argo with a hint of professionality that it astounds him. "And I've got a guy who's happy to do the talking in your stead, if you want."

That last part has him nodding quickly in response, enough to tell her that he wasn't exactly keen on having the spotlight on himself.

Understandable. She wouldn't want to do the talking herself too.

And if anyone asks, no, he won't do anything remotely public anymore. He already almost lost his wits after that demonstration back during the first day. He could deal with not having to repeat that ever again, thank you very much.

Memorizing the pathways and whatnot, Kirito and his friends prepare to leave this place.

*…_Clink_…*

"Huh?" Only for him to pause in his step, looking around with narrowed eyes. "That was…"

"Hmm? Something wrong, Kii-bou?" Asked his auburn-haired friend.

"…I heard fighting," he replies, a hand hovering over the grip of his Annealed Blade. "Where the hell is it coming from..?"

"…There," quickly pointing in another direction, one that branched off from the path that they came from, she drew forth her rapier. "Shall we investigate?"

"Definitely. There might be another player who's in trouble," so saying, he unsheathed his weapon while Argo brought out her dagger. "Lead the way."

Quickly, the group of three rushed down the path in search of the sounds of swords clashing, ringing across the grounds and walls of the labyrinth. The farther they go, the clearer it all gets, and Kirito could only assume that whomever it was out here at this sort of time (it's freaking night time. Who else would be up at this time?) was probably fighting Lizardmen Lords.

Those guys are blue-skinned, bipedal sword-wielding lizards. Their levels are technically higher than the other monsters on this floor, around [Lvl 4], which definitely puts them right on the dangerous scale of things.

Whoever it was better not be trying to find a good reason to—

"There," she points towards the right. "What now?"

"Hold up," he says, raising a hand as he backs into the wall. Argo and Vabel, too, follow his movement and lean against the walls, peeking over to look at what was the cause of all that commotion.

*Shing!*

Just in time to witness a smooth swing of a rapier, cutting down a Lizardman Lord right in the centre, killing it instantly as its body explodes into fragments of polygon and colours.

His mouth falls slightly apart, catching sight of the red hood and skirt, the dainty-looking arms and the rapier in her hand. That's definitely a girl, and her movements are so clean, almost like a dancer.

But that blade she's wielding is close to breaking, judging by the faint cracks on its surface.

His body moved on automatic. "Rush in!"

His shouting alerted the fencer, her head turning around towards him. "Huh?"

*Pssh..!*

Just in time for her rapier to shatter.

A Lizardman Lord readies his curved sword and leaps forwards, a streak of orange light that blurs behind the blade that is aimed for her throat. The girl simply stares back, her heel getting stuck in between two loose tiles and causing her to trip backwards.

What should have been her end is ultimately averted as a black sword cleaves the Lizardman apart like butter, ultimately decimating it in just one clean swipe. Somewhere in the back, a blur of vorpal black and a rush of orange cut down the mobs surrounding her, explosions and white light forming everywhere around them.

Sword swings, monstrous growls and explosions—and all of it lasted a mere ten seconds.

When everything was done, all three fighters around her had put away their weapons, the person at the lead staring at her with a calm gaze.

"Well, that was a little dangerous. Hey, you alright?" He asks, turning his head over to gaze at her.

The girl seemed shocked for a moment, voice coming out in soft stutters. "Y-You're…"

She barely had the chance to finish her words before her eyes flutter shut and her body collapsed almost immediately, falling forwards. Vabel is quick to catch her, however, which was a good thing or else she'd end up face-first on the ground.

Argo was immediately quick to move to her side, moving aside the girl's hood and hair to check on her, and Kirito's body tenses up.

"…She looks alright," said the information broker, looking up to her friend, though noticing how he seemed to be frozen on the spot. "Kii-bou?"

"…_She's_ playing this game too?" His hand brushes right through his hair, a breath expelled. "Huh. I mean, not like she can't play the game, but still…"

"Do you know this girl, Kirito?" Vabel asked.

He nodded back, rubbing the back of his head. "I won't say her real name, but I _will_ say that I've actually met her before around the time I met you. I didn't think I'd be seeing her in 'SAO' again… Alright, let's get back to the inn in Horunka. I'll carry her."

"Ooh, offering her a piggyback ride? How come _I_ don't get one?" That pout she made was just fake, but it certainly was more than enough to get him to roll his eyes.

"Maybe next time," it was said in jest, but he may as well as humour her someday. Grunting, he picked her up and settled the girl on his back, making sure that she didn't fall off. "Alright, let's go. Vabel, Argo, watch our flanks."

"Of course," the black-haired girl quickly pulled out her rapier. "Argo."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you both," with her characteristic tease and her dagger out, the girl covered his right flank. "Let's go home already."

"Not technically home, but alright," and with that, the group of three left the dungeons behind.

* * *

2nd December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Horunka Village, In an Inn

…Something soft is underneath her body. Is this a… bed? It has to be, and it's so soft…

The girl lets out a soft yawn and rolls herself onto her stomach, burying her face into the pillow with a small hum, savouring in this brief moment of comfort that she's experiencing.

This is nice… Have the inns back in the starting city finally changed their beds? Because this one is so comfortable, so fluffy… She can't help but want to stay here for as long as she could.

Seriously, she just feels so tired… When has it been since she got a good night's sleep? Probably not, considering all that's been happening around her, but last night was such a good sleep… She doesn't want to wake up…

'I wonder what I've been doing last night…' She thought, lips smacking one another as her body shifts around a little under the sheets. 'I must have been out in a dungeon last night, and I was fighting some monsters. Then I came back here…'

Satisfied with that, the girl allows a smile to form as she simply settles in to return to sleep once more.

And yet… something felt off.

She didn't come here. Actually, where _is_ she even? She didn't remember ever walking back home, or even paying for a night. And hadn't her weapon..?

'…Wait, that's it!' Any remaining dredges of sleep is completely flushed from her system before she hastily pushes her up into a seating position, brain now wide awake. 'My weapon broke, and—'

"It seems you've finally woken up."

"Eep!"

In her shock, she accidentally pushed herself back until she smacked into the wall, a soft groan leaving her lips due to the impact. Thankfully, what with the fact that they were in a Safe Zone and there was a pain absorber in place, she hadn't gained any damage and didn't feel much pain from this.

"Ah, forgive me for surprising you," says the girl standing at the door, making a small bow. Her entire mannerism reminds her of some sort of noble, for some odd reason. "I am Persona Vabel, but you may simply call me Vabel."

"Vabel..?" She repeated, getting a nod. "I see… I'm Asuna. It's nice to meet you."

"And the same for me as well," nodded the ravenette in turn. "Do you require anything? You have been unconscious for a considerably long time, so it would be fitting if you were to eat something. Come with me. My friends are currently outside."

"Ah… I wouldn't want to intrude—"

"Please. I assure you, it would be fine."

Well, there goes that idea.

Sighing, the girl relents in the end and joins her acquaintance outside of the inn, noticing two other figures talking to one another; well, it looked more like the girl was just running her mouth about some stuff and the boy was listening to her and responding when necessary while keeping his eyes glued to a book he had in his hands.

She feels herself tense up, however, something about that boy feeling strangely familiar…

"Kirito, Argo, I have brought her," spoke Vabel, alerting the other two players of their presence. "Her name is Asuna. She seems to be in good spirits."

"Asuna? Ooh, pretty name!" With a small wink, the auburn-haired girl waved at her. "Name's Argo! Kirito, wanna' say something?"

"…No wonder you look familiar. And seriously, you used your _real_ name as your in-game persona too?" He asks with a cocked brow, shutting his book—she recognized it to be the guidebook distributed by the in town vendors.

His tone, his looks… It finally dawns on her, and the girl is left reeling back. "K-Kazuto!"

"H-Hey! Shush! It's Kirito in this game," with a small sweat-drop, the boy ends up shaking his head with a sigh. "Honestly… Why did you use your real name for this?"

"Wait, we don't… W-Well, I didn't know, alright?! It asked for a name, so…"

"…Right."

She's never played a videogame before this! How was she meant to know about that?

And judging by how he was quick to silence her when she called him by his real name, it's probably taboo to mention one's real identity while playing a game. She'll have to remember that in the future.

"…Well, no use changing it now. You've set your name as your in-game identity, so we'll just have to roll with it," with a hum, he rubs the back of his neck. "Anyways, introductions. I'm Kirito. You already met Vabel, and Argo's already introduced herself."

"A-Ah, nice to meet you too. Asuna," she nods back, though with slight hesitation. "So anyways… what happened to me yesterday?"

"Ya' passed out while fighting all those mobs back in the dungeon, Aa-chan," answered the mousy girl, catching her off-guard with the use of the pet name. Even so, her tone was filled with genuine concern, her lips drawing a frown. "Ya' need to pace yourself, ya' know, or else you'll collapse out there in the field like you did yesterday and get yourself killed."

At that, her face faltered, eyes dropping to the ground as she rubbed the side of her arm, words failing her as she attempted to make an excuse for herself.

She fails, however, as the three worriedly watch her for a while before it was Kirito who made the first move to speak.

His words, however… hit her harder than any attack she's suffered from before.

"You weren't grinding earlier for levels. You gave up, didn't you?" As he asked this, he crosses his arms and staring at her with a cold, calculated look. "Judging by your delay—hesitation in response and that look on your face, along with your poor equipment and the time… you were just out there to fight for the sake of fighting, weren't you?"

Someone could assume that he was making that up, but seeing how her fists clenched, it certainly meant that he hit the target.

"…And what's so wrong about that?" She silently cursed at herself for suddenly sounding so angry, knowing that he was right. But she couldn't hold it in anymore. "What's wrong about me wanting to fight until I die..? Is it so wrong when, in the end, nothing is going to change? All of us are stuck here, Kirito-kun! We're all going to die! Don't you get it?! I don't want to be like everyone else who are stuck in the city, wasting their lives away like that! I'll never..! Damn it..!"

Certain bodily functions were locked so that they could prevent any sort of problems, such as the need to excrete, sleep or eat, though there were certain benefits to consuming food and drinks like temporary buffs. Sweating though is made natural, and sleeping is kind of a need since it _is_ technically the best rest for the body.

However, in this very moment, however, the tears that spilled forwards were products of her own despair of their situation, having come to terms with what they're facing now but still unable to fully accept it.

She could _die_ at any given point in time… and she refused to die doing nothing. Even if she dies fighting, then that would be enough for her.

But…

"…That has got to be the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard."

"H-Huh?"

"K-Kii-bou!"

"Kirito…"

Two voices rung out in soft panic while Asuna stares right at the black-haired boy who has his gaze focused on her. But where there should have been sympathy or a critical look as she had expected…

There was nothing but understanding.

Because he, too, was just like her, she realized. He was in every bit of danger as the rest of them are, and he too could die if they were careless. He understood that very well, but he didn't want to let that stop him.

"You're scared. Who isn't? But you can't let that be the reason for you to do nothing," he says, disappointment now colouring his tone. "I don't know what to tell you, but there _are_ people who're fighting to get all of us out of here. People who legitimately want to get out of here and go back home, myself included. Your sort of mindset goes against everything that we're fighting for. Are you so cynical that you can't even believe in the rest of us too?"

Whatever retort she wished she could have made in that moment is all but erased, and she genuinely didn't know what to say anymore, averting her gaze from him with a timid whimper.

To think that this was also the same boy that she had met in the library that fateful day…

The other two girls were probably too shocked that they couldn't say or do anything. No, they understood that they weren't in the position to say anything, so they could only settle for being quiet.

She, too, was unable to do anything. Against such an intimidating gaze, there was no use.

*Shing…*

"Take this," the sound of something being materialized and his own voice breaks her out of her stupor. She focuses on him once more, and she sees the rapier he's holding in his right hand. "Right now, you're too weak. But I know that you can change. Anyone can. Take this rapier if you're prepared to cut a path of your very own. No, I _will_ make you cut your own path."

Confused, uncertain, she still reaches out for the weapon. It felt lighter in her grip, but doable all the same.

With that, he brought out his menu and started tapping buttons. The girls watched him in curiosity before two of them received new pop-ups.

Argo is the first to cock a brow, sounding curious. "Party invite?"

"Considering how we're going to be travelling together—yes, Asuna, you _are_ coming with us," the tone of his voice left no room for argument. "It would be better if we just partied together. It's the most logical step."

He _would_ have sent a party invite to Vabel, but given her strange situation (strange doesn't even do it justice at this point), he would have to settle for the other two.

"That's certainly reasonable," nodded the black-haired girl. "I've already offered you my blade before, but I can reaffirm you that I will fight with you no matter what."

"Hmm… Yeah, I'm good with this! You guys will be fun to hang out with, for sure," Argo didn't hesitate to punch the accept button, thus committing to the party formation. Everyone then looked to Asuna. "Aa-chan, how 'bout ya'?"

She clearly looked hesitant, judging by how she was still staring at the pop-up screen quietly, with nary a sound save for her own breathing.

Kirito wouldn't offer her an apology. He meant every word he said back there, though a small part of his brain was beginning to realize how harsh he may have sounded. Still, that apathy of hers is only going to end up with her killed all of a sudden, so having her join the party will let him keep an eye on her.

Or at least, he hoped she would accept the party invite.

"I…" She paused to look down at the ground before her lips naturally contort into a smile, looking up to the other players' eyes. "Yes. I think I will."

She pressed the blue button to accept, thus becoming a member of this little party.

Her choice satisfies Kirito, who smiles back with a nod. "Good to have you with us, Asuna. Now then! Let's do some quick grinding sessions!"

His choice of words confuses the girl, tilting her head. "Grinding?"

"It's a term for fighting mobs repeatedly to gain high amounts of Exp. and money," answered Argo in his stead before shooting him a grin. "And count me in! I'm itching to get some levels in, already."

"I as well. It would do me well to at least get some practice in," agreed Vabel.

That left Asuna, who was silently impressed by how optimistic her friends are. Even with the fact that their lives are on the line, they're still able to look forwards and do their best, just so that they could break free from this prison.

Her answer comes easily, and her smile is just as bigger. "Of course!"

Together, the four rush off into the wilderness, intending to do whatever they can to claim their future.

Life in 'Sword Art Online' goes on.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

In case you guys are wondering, yes, I rewrote some parts of this chapter.

Thanks to several reviews I've received in the _Fanfiction_ website, it actually helped me go back to take a look at the entirety of the story (I've actually written all the way to the sixth chapter by the time I'm publishing this fixed chapter) and I realized that the pacing's pretty awful. Plus, some elements of both series…es? Of both series are used poorly, so I'm working to remedy all of that.

So, here I am! I said I'm gonna' do it right, I'm gonna' do it right God damn it! But yeah, that's that for now. I'll explain more in future chapters. Thanks for reading (again, if you haven't read it before).


	4. To Four Swords

Chapter II: To Four Swords

* * *

2nd December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Dungeon

Today has got to be a pretty weird day.

Granted, he's already experienced quite the weirdness in real life these few months, but he's sure that things got crazier the moment he stepped foot into this death game.

He reunites with a friend from IRL in this game, whom he assumed to be suicidal and apathetic to the point that she chose to fight simply for the sake of doing so in order to not waste away in the Town of Beginnings (that was partly a blind guess, so he's glad(?) that he got that right), which didn't really make her any better than they were.

And then he had the dumb idea to give a stupid motivational speech in order to kick Asuna's gears into high gear, just to motivate her past her inaction and lack of trust in herself and others.

What mattered now was for her to be more confident in herself and carve a path that she could be proud of. It was to that extent that he invited her to join him and his friends, going so far as to making a party with her and Argo—something he would have _never_ done before, or even thought of doing.

Jeez. People change, but he didn't think he changes this much.

Well, all's well. Asuna's not alone and risking herself out in the wilderness, Argo's where he can see her so that she doesn't end up doing anything crazy, and Vabel's following him everywhere just as always.

"On your right!"

"Got it!"

Watching the girl fighting with her rapier is a spectacle all on its own. How she seems to dance around the enemies, darting in and out to unleash countless blows that end up with the monsters quickly expiring.

That's her playstyle, it seems, and it's not bad. Argo's a pretty vicious fighter herself too, while Vabel seems more reserved. But once she goes in for the kill, she certainly doesn't hold back.

'Yeah, I've got a pretty good team,' feeling pretty great about himself, he unleashed a quick «Horizontal», taking out a group of Nepentheses. "Get ready, the fruit one is gonna' spawn some more of its kinds! Gain some distance, and prepare your strongest «Sword Skills»!"

He's never had to actively work in groups before, but this isn't so bad of a change.

"Understood!"

"Ya' got it, Kii-bou!"

"Awaiting your command."

Yeah, he can probably get used to this.

* * *

It took a while, but at the end of their little grinding session, Kirito was pretty sure that he was close to hitting the [Lvl 7] threshold. The other girls weren't doing so bad either, though it made him somewhat curious to know just what was Vabel's own level.

She had, with a little bit of trouble, managed to convince Asuna of her strange situation, though it did take some fire show. And a bit of explanation on her part, though she was certainly being elusive by avoiding certain things.

He _really_ wanted to know just what was going on with her, but oh well.

Right now, they were just chilling in the outskirts of the village, eating some bread that Kirito had managed to purchase prior to today. Good food is a medicine for a lot of things, but really, just eating something made him feel normal enough. Sure, they were disconnected from reality, but having to do something _normal_ was something he could appreciate enough.

Although, it would be nice to get some nicer food in the future.

"So Argo," he called out after having finished swallowing his bread. "About that guy that you mentioned yesterday."

"Huh? Oh, right," nodding, she finished the rest of her bread before speaking again. "Got some info about him from some of my sources. Name's Diavel. A pretty passionate guy, from what my sources said about him. He's the right person for the job, I'm sure of it."

A passionate guy. The sheer opposite of himself, which makes him perfect. "If you say so."

"Pity. We wouldn't be able to witness you delivering the speeches then," for some odd reason, Vabel sounded dejected. "You were quite amazing from earlier, Kirito. You certainly knew how to evoke confidence in oneself, and it was quite motivating."

"Let's… not talk about that," the memory of the incident literally moments ago does its work and makes him embarrassed, turning his gaze away with a click of the tongue as his face reddens somewhat. "Well, as long as he knows how to control a crowd, I suppose."

Seriously, who knows how many people were going to be there tomorrow.

* * *

2nd December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Tolbana

After some rest, the group of four continued their session of training and fortunately, no one were in any form of danger. Well, they _did_ take a little bit of damage, but it was barely enough to truly take into consideration. Some potions remedied that immediately.

Kirito broke into [Lvl 7] while Argo and Asuna have entered [Lvl 4]—Asuna is complaining that the other girl had barely helped out, yet she gained experience levels, while Argo coolly deflects each complaint with her usual teasing. Vabel, despite her inability to possess a true level, was incredibly strong (he'd go so far as to say that she might just be the same as his own level), so they wouldn't have to worry about her for the coming floors.

Still, it would be nice for them to level up a little quicker. That was all that mattered, as the higher-levelled that they were, the safer they would be. But there wasn't much grinding opportunity other than the Little Nepenthes method, which was technically the best method there was.

And they got pretty annoying sometimes.

"That went pretty well… You girls doing alright?"

"We're fine, Kirito-kun."

At her conformation, the boy merely nodded back before looking around them.

The city isn't exactly any different than what they've seen before this, but it does look relatively nice. Large castle walls that belonged more in old Europe surrounded the city, with white windmill towers high and tall. There were a number of services here such as inns, bars and restaurants, and it made sense for there to be quite the number of houses here. What he liked most about this city, however, were the fountains situated around Tolbana, and there were benches nearby, so that meant he could just sit back and listen to the sounds of rushing water.

Huh. That sounds lovely.

'Another time,' he decided, looking back to his group. "So Argo, you said that the conference meeting will be here tomorrow, right?"

"Yup. It'll be over there," pointing to a building in the distance, all of them spot an amphitheatre that's almost as big as a soccer stadium. Or at least, kind of. "_Tooons_ of players are gonna' be there."

"Oh, joy," Kirito rolls his eyes at that. He never was a fan of large crowds. "Well, it's fine. Since it's not us who're at centre stage, we won't have to worry about anything. Anyways, I've just got a place where we can stay at. It's a farm some ways from here, but it's pretty nice. That is, if you girls don't mind the long trek back."

The information broker lets out a whistle. "Oh, I know the place. It's that one farm with the bath, right? Yeah, I like that place."

"There are baths in this game?" Vabel quickly asks, sounding interested.

"Yep. This game is pretty impressive in the fact that there are a lot of services that they provide, like baths and hot springs. The latter of which are sometimes hidden, so you'll need to find them on your own," explained Kirito, pointedly ignoring Argo's pout. She probably wanted to explain, but he took that away from her. "Again, it's a little far. Do you girls—"

He hadn't the chance to finish his words before his arm got pulled back, almost causing him to trip and fall. He quickly regains his balance, however, and finds himself staring into Asuna's wide eyes. And were those stars glittering around her eyes?

"You said there's a bath."

"Uhh…"

"I concur with Asuna. Please take us there, Kirito."

"Hehe~! Boys are gonna' be jealous of ya', Kii-bou!"

Someone remind him that they're in a death game again.

* * *

True to his words, it took a bit of time before they finally arrived at their situation. Or it should have, but it ended up only being a two minutes' worth of journey because they ran all the way there. At Asuna's and Vabel's insistence, obviously.

He would have preferred taking the scenic route and walking all the way, but with how pressured he was, he had no choice but to be quick on things.

So here they were. And the sights… eh, who was he kidding? He didn't have the chance to take a better look at things before he was basically pushed into the room that he was renting, and both girls had quickly rushed in to get their baths.

'Guess it doesn't feel right to go without a bath for so long,' he thought to himself, sitting in his room with nothing but his thoughts. 'Well, it's fine. Experience all the luxuries that they can for now, just for the sake of it.'

While Asuna had been pretty reluctant to bathe with another person, which again solidifies her upbringing to be that of some rich person, Vabel had consoled her enough so that they could share the bath together, using the reason of 'not wanting to waste another moment dirty' being the thing that sealed the deal.

Argo, though… he made sure to keep her out of the bath, because knowing her, some crazy hijinks might start happening if she allowed her in there.

"Can't I goooo~?"

"No, Argo. I won't let you."

He levels a hardened stare at her, matching her pout and her muttering 'Party pooper'. He was not in the mood for any crazy stuff.

He swore, the tension of this game just couldn't match the insanity of things happening around him right now.

"D'you think the boss battle will be simple?" Asked Argo out of nowhere, possibly an attempt to at least have _something_ to do just to kill the boredom.

"Can't promise anything, obviously, but it shouldn't be too bad," he says with a shrug. "So far, the game's going just as all of us remember. Nothing's changed just yet. I'm willing to say that we'll wipe the floor with Illfang."

"Heh, pretty confident, eh? I like that," snickering, the girl (from where she was lying on his bed, _again_) shot him a sly grin. "You're pretty strong, so you'd better protect us girls, yeah?"

He hardly doubted Vabel and Asuna would need his protection, given how incredible they are in a fight. And Argo, for as much as she tends to undermine her own capabilities, could really give other players a run for their money.

Still, he supposed that's one thing he could do. "Sure, I'll do my best."

"We're done."

Their conversation is comes to an end as as Vabel's soft voice cuts through just as the door creaks, indicating that she was finally out.

He doesn't immediately look at them, however, some sort of signal going off in his head. "Are you wearing anything?"

"Hoho, playing smooth and cautious! Not bad~!" Teased his auburn-haired friend, to which he simply rolled his eyes. She was never going to give up on the opportunity to tease someone on just about anything.

"Yes, I have," answered the girl. "And so has Asuna."

Taking that as his cue, he finally glances up from his book, and was still unprepared for the sight before him.

Two gorgeous ladies in his room should have been enough to drive the nail into his head. The fact that they're now in sleep wear, with both of their hair down and showing off some skin—neck, arms, a little bit of legs—dealt a pretty good blow to the one that was a perfectly healthy hormonal teenager.

His calm dies a little and his head snaps towards the ceiling, though with a notable blush and a small hum.

Unfortunately for him, though… "Ahhh~! Looks like _someone's_ embarrassed!"

He just had to let the devil into his house. No offense.

"A-Argo! D-Don't say that!" He was just glad that he wasn't the only one embarrassed right now, as he could just imagine how Asuna looks right now; a mix of angry and embarrassed, her soft cheeks adorned by crimson blushes.

"Indeed. It's not just _one_, but _two_ people who are flustered," and he supposed it isn't too weird for Vabel to be so… 'I don't really care'. She's read the mood well, but the fact that she's still somehow managed to keep a straight face through all of this is just impressive. What can he do to be as calm as she was?

"Nyahaha! You guys are the best!" Her snickering starts to fade away, but her casual smile on her face still stays in place as she looks over to Vabel. "Well, you're done now. I'm going to take my bath now. But man, wished I could have shared the bath with you and Aa-chan. Would've been nice to have a little bit of girl time, but _someone _had to ruin it," huffed the girl as she turned her head away. "I don't want to go alone. Who's going to accompany me now?"

"If you had gone in there, I was pretty certain that something ridiculous was going to happen, and I don't think I'd have enough brain cells to deal with it," groaning, he didn't even bother hiding his vexation by simply glaring at the girl, who stared back. "Go take your bath, already. I'm waiting in line here, you know."

"…Gah, fine! But someday, I'll get my girl time with my fellow ladies!" With a well-imitated huff that she probably got from watching other people, she turned on her heels and marched off into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her with a surprisingly nice click, and not with a crash.

"Thank you!" He shouted her way, and a muffled 'You're welcome!' is shouted back. That gets him to chuckle, shaking his head. "She hasn't changed whatsoever."

"You two sure are close," muttered Asuna with a hum.

"You could say that. We've met during the beta phase of the game, and she's pretty fun to be around. Devious, perhaps, but she's a good person. I can promise you that much," saying that, he looked back at the door to the bathroom. "And she's good at what she does, as much as I would prefer not saying. Then again, coming from the weird one, I shouldn't be allowed to say much about her."

That has her tilting her head, looking curious. "Weird one? I think you're pretty okay, Kirito-kun."

"Suuure, I am," if it's not him that's weird, it's the situation that he's found himself in that certainly is. "Anyways, we'll be attending the meeting tomorrow in Tolbana for the discussion of the boss battle. Do you girls need anything? Armour, weapons?"

"I have no need for anything. My weapon is still in fine condition, and I have no need for a change of armour," answered the female ravenette in the room.

"I don't think I need anything right now. The rapier you gave me is already good, so I'll be fine," spoke the other rapier wielder.

He hums at this, knowing that Argo probably wouldn't need anything else—she's already gotten herself a good set of equipment. "That so, huh? Well, alright then. We'll need to stock up on potions tomorrow, though. Someone remind me then."

Receiving a sound of affirmation from Vabel, the boy settles for silence, waiting for his time to take his bath next.

* * *

3rd December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Tolbana, Meeting for 1st Floor Boss

With how long it's been since they've entered 'Sword Art Online', it made sense for everyone to have somewhat calmed down. Still, the uneasy air that they felt was understandable as well; with how no one had made any progress in locating the boss room, all players were afraid that they might not be able to get out of here.

Fortunately, however, there seemed to be a tip from the Rat herself (Argo) that the boss room had already been discovered, and that the meeting for the floor boss was going to be held in Tolbana. That certainly caught the attention of a lot of players.

They were antsy. And they want to get their game together.

And when she said it was going to be a lot of players.

She wasn't kidding. There were a _lot_ of players.

When they arrived at the amphitheatre, there was a literal crowd of people outside trying to get inside. They had to push through the numerous people to get inside, and Kirito was just glad that they were quick enough to grab a spot in the highest seating place, all four of them there together.

"Wow… This is way more than what I anticipated," whistled Argo in a casual tone, crossing her arms behind her head as she looked around them. "Well, this is fine. The more, the merrier."

"Don't say that when we're technically going to go put our lives in danger and fight some powerful monster," groaned Kirito as he shook his head.

To be fair, she wasn't exactly too wrong in that statement of hers. The more fighters there were, the higher the chances they had of defeating the enemy, though it does make managing everything a little harder. Still, that should be of little issue as long as whoever was going to lead them knew what they were doing.

Here they were, sitting on the stairs of this amphitheatre with countless other players chatting amongst one another. He gazed across the sea of heads, yet found no one making a move to take the stage, which meant that whomever it was wasn't here yet.

"Alright, everyone!" It didn't take too long as a loud voice cuts through the chatter, silencing everyone immediately. Loud footsteps are a sign of confidence, and it clearly showed in the broad grin on the man's face. "Good morning to you all!"

Bronze chestplate, blue tunic and blue hair. Straight posture, tall, brave-looking. This was the person that Argo told him about; Diavel, who would be leading the charge of the first raid in the history of 'Sword Art Online'.

They would remember that for years to come in a fond manner, if it wasn't for the dreadful situation they were in.

"I'm grateful that all of you are here right now. My name is Diavel, and I am a knight!" He shouts this with all the energy that he has inside of him, striking his balled hand to his chestplate.

This game doesn't really have any form of job like some other games, but this was his attempt in making himself seem like a joke all to make everyone else relaxed. And it worked, as everyone ended up laughing out loud and shouting all the same.

"What the hell? There are no such things as _knights_ in this game!"

"Yeah! There aren't any class systems in this game!"

"Good one, though."

Laughing along, Diavel calms them down enough after making several hand gestures, getting them to become quiet after a while. And just like that, his facial expression morphs into a serious one. "Very well then. Everyone, you have been called here for the reason that you certainly have been expecting prior. Recently, someone has discovered the entrance to the floor boss room."

Everyone gasped in unison, excitement spreading across them as they started talking to each other yet again.

He continues to speak. "And that is why all of you are here! Together, we're going to beat the first obstacle in our path and prove to everyone else that we can indeed get out of this game because, if we can win this one, it'll certainly motivate everyone else to join our ranks and fight. That way, we'll get the freedom we've all wanted since day one!"

Awe-inspiring, confident and honest—if that didn't make him a leader, then he wasn't certain what did.

And this person indirectly raised the amount of respect he had for his information broker friend. Easily getting info, finding the right people for the right job, good at talking. Name him someone who's good at that if it isn't Argo.

"So I ask all of you, here and now! I, Diavel, seek to fight the floor boss so that we can proceed to the next floor and reach the hundredth floor quicker. Who else will fight with me?" How easily he manages to evoke confidence within the others, as everyone are now tense and excited. "Who else wishes to get out of this game with me? Who?!"

And like a dam breaking, all voices spilled forwards freely.

"Me!"

"I'll fight with you!"

"Hell yea! No more being trapped!"

Asuna made a small sound of excitement, even thrusting her fist a little up in the air. Argo snickered, Vabel made no sound, and Kirito simply crossed his arms, looking at everyone.

Certainly, for all it's worth, Diavel's done a pretty good job so far. Guess there's nothing that he has to worry about—

"Wait a second!"

"Hmm?"

…Except for that, he supposed.

Obnoxiously cutting off the excitement, some guy with orange hair that's shaped like bloody bowling pins leaps down to the stage, his shorter stature when compared to Diavel making him look like a pathetic guy. Still, that scowl he had on his face was just killing the mood, and he didn't appreciate it.

Still, it seemed like he had something to say, so might as well see where this goes.

"The name's Kibaou, and I've got a bone to pick with some people!" Planting both hands firmly on his hips, he stared forwards at the crowd, nothing but anger on his expression. "More specifically, Beta Testers!"

"Beta Testers?" Diavel asked, a hand on his chin. "Why is that?"

"Well, they're the reason why so many of us have died! _One thousand_ people, dead! All because they didn't help us!" He barked like a mad dog, unknowingly pissing off several people in the crowd. "They were the ones to have the advantage of playing this game before it came out to everyone, so they knew more than we do! And yet, what do they do? They keep all their knowledge secret from us! They exploit all the places most suitable for grinding! They do everything to benefit _themselves_! And we have to suffer for their selfishness!"

People across the amphitheatre begin to mutter amongst one another as they turn his words over in their heads, though some looked quite annoyed at his accusation.

Kirito, especially, feels this one hit hard, and not simply because he himself was a Beta Tester.

It's more like… he feels angry for all the other Beta Testers because his words aren't entirely true. There are, after all, several Beta Testers who have helped tremendously these past few weeks, and for him to simply throw shit on them is a douche move.

"So I demand that they show themselves now!" He shouts one final time, stomping his foot to add to the effect. "Get on their knees, apologize, and give us everything that they have on their person! That's the only right way to make up for all of this crap!"

The ravenette narrows his eyes at this, feeling his hand tighten into a ball. What a blind fool he is, to quickly pull the trigger and blame others for the failure of another.

It's not like the Beta Testers have done nothing. Again, so many Beta Testers have done a lot to help, and for him to just ignore that…

*Thrrk…*

"Huh? Who's…"

"Wait a minute, what are you—"

"Aha! At least someone's got balls!"

Ignoring the wide smirk on the man's face and the look of surprise that everyone else had, the figure descends the stairs until he reached the ground, now standing a foot away from the Beta Tester hater.

He cocks his head a little higher before scoffing. "So, what are you waiting for? An invitation, or—"

"Like hell," he spits back, the venom in his tone catching him and the others off-guard. "I'm not here to apologize, or get on my knees or give anything. I'm here for my fellow Beta Testers, and to get _you_ to apologize for the shit you said about them."

For Kirito to be standing here right now, actually standing face-to-face with another guy and trying to defend others… If this was him a year ago, he would have thought himself insane or something. But that didn't matter right now, however.

Because right now, all that mattered was doing what was right, and he would be damned if he simply did nothing.

Argo, who has collaborated with other Beta Testers in the production of the guidebook, which is distributed for free by all stall vendors in the Town of Beginnings. She, a Beta Tester who has done what was right not for the sake of being recognized, but simply because she wanted to help people.

And he wasn't going to let some dumbass spit down on her work!

"My friend worked so hard to help the other players, and a lot more Beta Testers have done good work that you haven't, spikehead. The guidebook that everyone can get for _free _are made by Beta Testers, no less. So why don't you do me a favour and go fuck yourself?" He so dearly wanted to punch his face, but that might just get him an orange cursor, which was something he would prefer not getting.

Kibaou had actually stepped back in shock, his lips quivering and unable to articulate a proper response to this stranger's sudden outburst. His face, however, does turn a curious shade of purple and red, finally able to muster up the courage to be very pissed.

"Feh! You talk a lot for some kid. Who d'ya think you are?"

"I'm a Beta Tester, and a damned good one too. Who are _you_?"

Several 'Ooh..!' broke out in whispers, some players particularly impressed by that show of confidence and that not-so-humble brag and roast.

That certainly shocked him enough that he almost faltered, but he was quick to get back his grit. "Pah! Lies!"

"Oh, sure. You say that, but I'd prefer seeing than hearing," and with that, he takes a few step back, away from Kibaou while he was tapping a few screens, which causes something to pop up in front of him. "Show me what you can do, and maybe I'll start believing that you're actually as good as you bark."

Cheap provocation that is so unlike him, but he does remember how most antagonists in the old anime's that he's watched before do it. And he just can't help but somehow enjoy doing it.

Wow. He's_ never_ been cocky. Afraid? Sometimes. Distant? Definitely. Not talkative? Before, without a doubt.

But now, he just feels different. And he's certainly liking the change.

"Well? You scared?"

"Why you..! I'm going to make you eat your words, brat!"

With an angry growl, he slams his hand into the blue button to accept, thus starting a duel between the two players. First to have their health bar drop down to half loses.

The sudden change from a meeting to a duel is more than enough to shock the other players who spectated this turn of events, but there was no denying the clear anticipation in everyone as they awaited the battle.

Kirito takes his place and calms himself, wielding a store-bought sword he had on him; just because he didn't like Kibaou, he wasn't even going to give it his all whatsoever. He won't use his Annealed Blade.

Kibaou, on the other hand, pulls out his mace, already settling himself into a battle stance. Still, that scowl on his face makes him look even less impressive.

The timer ticks down. To three, to two, to one…

To zero.

Before anyone could even move, long before Kibaou had even managed to initiate a «Sword Skill» with his mace, Kirito had already stepped forwards, blade glowing a light blue as it slashed through the air like a rocket, cutting right into Kibaou's body in a fast stroke and knocking him back.

But he hadn't stopped at that, however, as his sword is now shifted onto his right shoulder, glowing a different shade of blue.

"«Vertical»," muttered Vabel, her eyes wide in surprise. "How did he..?"

She hadn't been able to think about it any further, as everyone watches as the sword comes down in a diagonal slash from the top right, cutting into Kibaou's body in a second swift strike.

"Gak..!" The blow behind the attack knocks him back onto his bottom, groaning from the damage that he received. "Damn it! Just you wait, I'll—"

*Ping!*

There was no other opportunity to continue the fight because, by then, a ringing noise reverberated throughout the amphitheatre. A large screen popped up in the air above the two fighters, with their names on display and their health bars shown as well.

Kirito. Health bar full, green.

Kibaou… Health bar, 40%, yellow.

The man in question stared up in unfeigned shock, mouth wide open and a strangled gasp coming out as his mind feebly attempted to understand the situation—that he had just lost to some kid without even getting to do _anything_. Kirito, however, chooses to sheathe his sword on his back, giving him his back as everyone around them started cheering.

"And that's the end of it," he says, walking back up and joining his friends, all three of them looking quite shocked by that display, while he was waving back at all the players that were basically cheering his name at this point. "Whoo. That was nice."

"W-Wow. Kirito-kun, you're good," muttered Asuna with wide eyes, to which he simply smiled back.

"Not _that_ good, but I guess it's enough," he says in response with a snicker. "And Kibaou was kind of lame anyways."

"Yeesh. Remind me not to get on your bad side," shuddered Argo, before a little smile flitted on her face. "Still, that was pretty nice of ya', Kii-bou. What're ya' try'na do? Be a hero?"

"Nah, nothing so selfless as that. I just don't like him making fun of us Beta Testers, you and others, who've worked hard enough. Not counting me, obviously, because I hardly do anything, so you know," shrugging, he looks back to Diavel, raising his arm. "Alright! Let's continue the meeting, Diavel!"

The bluenette was certainly surprised by the turn of events, but he was quick to regain his vigour, nodding back and taking charge of the discussions immediately after.

Kirito lowers his arm and leans back with a sigh. Today didn't turn out so bad as he thought it would, even if someone was being a dick.

Kibaou got his ass handed to him. And that felt greater than anything else.

* * *

When the meeting was done and everyone were already assigned to their respective squads and whatnot, Kirito and his group were seen entering a restaurant in the town, deciding to get some food in their stomachs after all the talking.

The boy, especially, felt like he needed this getaway from all the attention he drew towards himself after that dumb stunt he pulled, which unintentionally kind of made him popular.

Which is something that he didn't need!

"I see… How interesting," hummed Vabel as she sipped from her cup of warm tea. "To somehow integrate your body into immediate action within this game, by positioning your body in the appropriate posture for another «Sword Skill» despite having used one prior…"

"Well, those two were just really simple «Sword Skills», after all, so the post-motion delay wouldn't have been all that long to begin with," shrugged back the boy, eyes closed and smile forming. "I can still remember how I discovered this nifty trick. It was back during the Beta Test, I believe, during the fourth boss battle. Fourth or fifth, I can't exactly remembered…"

With how Vabel described it, it certainly sounds miraculous and impossible to a certain extent; after all, when you've initiated a «Sword Skill», your body immediately undergoes a post-motion delay, whereby the body becomes rigid and difficult to move. Higher-levelled «Sword Skills» will definitely grant longer delays, so that's one thing to be worried about.

But this loophole that he discovered in the system could definitely help a lot, something of which he understood will benefit him in the long run.

All that he was required to do was to simply position himself in preparation for another «Sword Skill», thus allowing him to bypass the delay and act immediately. Such a trick would indeed prove to be incredibly beneficial as they had to stay on the tip of their toes no matter what in a fight.

"Coin the term, Kirito," says Vabel again after a while, getting his eyes to open. "Considering how you're the only one who've discovered such an interesting method, it would be right to call you the maker of such a skill."

"Oh, come now. It's not so impressive that it warrants much praise," despite what he says at that, Argo was quick to deny his words.

"I dunno' about that, Kii-bou. Think about it! If you could use stronger «Sword Skills» with that trick of yer's, imagine the sort of damage that you could cause!" He would have thought that she was kidding, but the genuine excitement in her eyes was enough to tell him that she was being honest. "Like, err… Actually, I don't know that many one-handed sword «Sword Skills». But still!"

"Alright, alright, I get you. But give me some time. I'll need to think on a good name for this one," so saying, he brings his glass of cold juice to his lips, letting the cool liquid flow down his throat. He stops after a while, letting out a sigh after gulping. "I've got to say, though. With all the preparation, I'm feeling pretty confident. Let's do our best tomorrow, yeah?"

Tomorrow, 10 a.m., they would enter the labyrinths and attempt to take on the first floor boss. Kirito was pretty confident in his level and gear, though it would be a good idea to get Asuna and Argo some better weapons before tomorrow.

It would then be a moment to prove to every other players in this game that they _can_ change fate. That the story isn't written in stone, and that freedom is definitely possible.

His gaze moved to Argo, his first friend in this game, her calm and chirpy demeanour something that evoked ease within their hearts.

He then turned to look at Asuna, a friend from back home, now fighting by his side. She was determined, and that spirit of hers reached him as well, something of which he respected.

And finally… Vabel.

He still didn't understand who she or Igor was, nor was his meaning in the grand machination of things. She was quiet, mysterious, and seemed more than what she let on; those eyes of hers aren't emotionless, just suppressed, and he just wants to know what hides underneath that calm façade.

But she, just like the other two girls here, is every bit of a comrade as she is a friend to him. And hopefully, he'd learn just what is it that brought her to him. What was it that made it necessary that their paths crossed?

"Heh, of course! We'll be kicking monster ass tomorrow!" Snickered the information broker with her characteristic, laidback nature.

"Mmhm! With you here, Kirito-kun, and all of us working together, we'll definitely win!" The chestnut-haired girl's words were filled with optimism, and it wasn't hard to smile along with her.

"We shall win, no matter what," the other ravenette's words were firm, true, and he found himself believing her more than he thought he would.

Kirito nodded back, grinning. "Definitely. We'll all win this thing and get out alive, together," and he prayed for a little bit of strength so that they would make it out alive at the end of this entire thing.

* * *

4th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1

The world of 'Sword Art Online' begins to rise from its own slumber as the light of day bathes the land, greeting the castle's inhabitants with a fresh start.

Ironic. That in a world such as this, trapped and unable to escape, it's still kind enough to not outright want to kill them. The wind is gentle, the day is warm, and they're not in immediate danger… What a joke. The ease of things makes it hard to remember that he was in some death game with his and countless other players' lives on the line. Die in game, die in the real world.

With such stakes on the line, it made sense for anyone to be nervous, yet he was glad all the same that no one were panicking anymore. Sure, some were having bad moods and some were still a little sceptical, but he supposed that isn't too odd for most people.

He got up from his sleep with a small yawn, noticing how early he was. The girls were still asleep, he assumed, and he took this opportunity to take his bath first. It was sometime later before the girls, too, woke up, and they had decided to take their baths after him.

What he does notice, however, is that it was only Argo and Asuna. And when asked about the fourth member of their little party…

"I heard she wanted to get some fresh air first," Asuna said to him. "She's probably outside right now."

As he watches her get dragged away into the bathroom by her fellow girl, he decided to search for their friend outside of the farm.

He does ignore the squealing from the bathroom. He just knew something was going to go wrong. He called it!

He had been prepared to call out for Vabel, but seeing her as she did in that moment certainly buried the words deep in his throat.

There, standing outside of the farm, with her hands clasped in front of her chest and supposedly muttering something under her breath, he opts to lean against the door and watch her curiously, not wishing to bother her because of how… serene she looked.

Vabel, looking so peaceful and quiet as she did, isn't so odd than how she is normally. But in that moment, he noticed how there was a look of happiness and longing in her gaze, and he could only wonder just what was going on in her head.

Again, he has to admit that he hardly knew her very well. All he _does_ know is that she's an otherworldly being, serves a long-nosed dude who predicted the future, supposedly uses magic, and is mysterious to the point of giving him headaches on a constant basis—obviously, she's not doing this on purpose, but he certainly does overreact.

Is he repeating these facts to himself? Well, damn it. He thought only old people do that, but even he's inevitably subjected to such a fate.

Vabel took a little more time before she was finally done. With slow movements, her head turns around to face him and her lips form a lithe smile. "Kirito. Good morning to you. Had your sleep last night been kind to you?"

"Good morning to you too. It was a good sleep, yeah," he nodded back. "What were you doing just now, Vabel?"

"I was… wishing a good friend of mine a happy birthday," she tells him, getting a raise of a brow from him. "It's her birthday today. The fourth of December… I hope she's celebrating it with the rest of our friends."

"I… see," for some reason, hearing this sort of talk from her makes him feel more relaxed around her. "That's nice. For you to still remember her birthday to wish her… Do you miss her?"

"I do," says the girl, a look of longing shining in her eyes before it is dispelled with a shake of the head. "But I must first walk this path with you, and help you to the end of it. That is my role in all of this, and I shall do my best to help you through it all, Kirito."

If she wasn't a human girl before, then he felt that this certainly solidified it.

So perhaps she had a normal life before becoming an attendant of the Velvet Room? Hardly the most logical option, but it is still a feasible one.

And Vabel didn't necessarily sound so professional back there, but knowing that she was fully serious about what she said only strengthened his trust in her.

He finds himself nodding back. "Right. I'll be relying on you, then, Vabel."

And seeing her look so happy back there, hopeful and strong… he most definitely will protect her and all his friends. That, he promised to himself.


	5. Black Swordsman

Chapter III: **B**lack Swor**d**sman

* * *

4th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Dungeon, Outside of the Boss Room

Boss battles. A prospect of the game that certainly made the game all the more exciting—now a test to prove themselves worthy of leaving this game alive or not. And it didn't help that Aincrad had one hundred floors, which equated to one hundred bosses in total. And that's not counting the event bosses and floor bosses yet!

God damn it.

Nonetheless, he pushed that somewhat worrying thought out of his mind for now, walking down the forested path that would lead them to the labyrinth, where the boss room was situated in.

He could tell that he was being watched; by Kibaou, who was still pretty pissed about his loss in their battle, and Diavel, probably just to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't do anything crazy.

Fair enough.

So far, sothing so different than what they've had planned out had occurred; forty-five players had gathered together at Tolbana before heading out for the labyrinths, having arrived outside of the boss room in at least half an hour. Now, here they are, standing before two magnificent doors that towered every other person here by meters.

Kirito gulped at the sight of these massive things. He knew that this could just be for the sake of aesthetics, and didn't necessarily affect combat with the boss monsters, but these two doors made for a really daunting sight.

Certainly put them in the mood for the fight, though.

**Klein:** _Sorry, bro! Can't come because we still want to train a little better! We'll join the boss battles another time, though!_

**Kirito:** _Don't worry too much about it. We'll probably be fine._

The boy smiled, content to know that his friend was still doing alright. It's too bad that he isn't here for the first boss battle, but he supposed they'll just have to fight together in a future battle then.

And he had others to look out after too, after all.

"Don't forget our potions, everyone. We'll definitely need them."

"Blergh. They taste awful, though."

"They are necessary, though…"

He has to admit, Vabel would make for a pretty good leader, all things considered. Sure, she's a little odd around the edges, but he could definitely see her leading a guild in the future.

'Guilds, huh..?' He thought to himself, looking ahead. 'That wouldn't be _too_ impossible for her.'

Guilds are, after all, similar to parties. Only this time, a larger amount of people could join and there were a lot more benefits to it. He could definitely see the boon in forming a guild.

Unfortunately for him, though, he's not a fan of crowds, so a guild sounded a little too much for him to bear. As such, he'll just settle for this small party of theirs.

And if they do end up joining guilds, he could always just go solo. Yeah, that's not too difficult.

'…I surprisingly don't like the sound of that.'

"Maybe I should have gotten a better sword..?"

"I disagree. Your current weapon should be good enough."

Well, it _is_ a drop from some monster a few days prior, but he supposed that it's the best one she could get, compared to all the other rapiers that they could buy in the stores, like the ones she used during their first encounter.

Good gracious were they pathetic. Broke too quick and didn't deal much damage, though that is to be expected considering that they're just on the first floor.

The rapier that he had gave her is now her reserve weapon, meant for emergencies in the case that her new weapon, called Wind Fleuret, was broken in battle. Still, he felt that Wind Fleuret is far superior to her spare rapier.

Vabel's personal weapon, the name of which he didn't really know of, was probably _much _stronger than anyone else's weapon—he was certain that it was better than his own Annealed Blade, which he made sure to refine countless of times to make it stronger.

Argo's relying on a mix of claw weapons (there are gauntlets in this game, but not too many players are inclined to use something that required them to get up close and personal with enemies, it seems) and daggers, which isn't too bad for her; she _is_ a pretty fast fighter.

And Kirito's got his Annealed Blade. Nothing so dramatic, but it's been refined a lot, so he'll probably be fine.

He then thought about the strategies meant for this battle. His group was meant to be part of the support, which will take care of any Kobold minions that will be summoning later on. And he's got to say, their line-up is pretty solid; himself being the heavy hitter, Vabel and Asuna being the faster swordswomen and Argo for assist.

No way anything was going to go bad.

…Actually, he takes that back! He'd better not have jinxed it!

"Alright then, everyone! Here we are!" Shouted the blue-haired man, clenching a fist in front of him and smiling, a fire burning in his eyes. "Our first ever boss battle is right here, and I've got only one thing to say! Let's win this together and make it out alive!"

No one had spoken a word or even shouted, just mere nods of assent and perhaps a few sounds like grunts and hums.

Kirito, too, simply opted to just unsheathe his sword, awaiting the moment for the doors to open. And open they did, as Diavel placed both hands on the doors and pushed them inwards, the gigantic doors making loud swinging noises, dust clouds forming on the ground.

It was dark. Incredibly dark, which made it hard to really see, but the linings across the wall seemed to glow a little, offering a measly amount of sight. The room inside was incredibly spacious, and he couldn't begin to fathom how long was its length, width and height. Before he could even start to think on that, the room lit up as fire suddenly sprouted out of nowhere, lighting up the countless lanterns on the walls and providing better sight.

And the massive red-skinned beast sitting on his throne had been aroused from his slumber, red eyes glowing and white fangs on display, grabbing its shield and axe as it got up. A shrill roar filled the room as three health bars formed above its head, with the words 'Illfang the Kobold Lord' popping up as well.

"Everyone!" Shouted Diavel, pointing his sword forwards. "_Chaaarge_!"

Illfang wasn't alone too, as several Ruin Kobold Sentinels equipped with helmets and maces formed out of thin air, quick to rush forward alongside their lord that crossed the room in a matter of seconds to meet its enemies head-on.

And the squad of players rushed forwards with everything they had; sword, axe, mace, lance. They released their battle cries as their feet stomped on the ground of the boss room, everyone throwing themselves forwards into the fray.

And thus, the dance of steel had begun.

* * *

PvE: Player versus Enemy—human players versus monsters. Strategies discusses countless times and revised for improved performance, it showed in the battle between both groups, as the human players intercepted the enemy and committed to the plan set forth.

Four to five minions were quickly intercepted by the backup groups, taken out quickly and allowing breathing room and better manoeuvrability.

One particular Ruin Kobold Sentinel leapt into the air, mace shining bright red—

*Shing!*

"Not gonna' happen!" Shouted the black-haired boy, his onyx sword having cleaved right through it in the tell-tale motion of a «Slant». He charged into another with a «Rage Spike», stabbing his blade right through its midriff and knocking it straight into Argo's claws. "Good one!"

"You too!" Shouted the girl with a slight pant, clearly not used to battling in the first place. Even so, she forces herself to fight, turning around and unleashing a quick blow against a minion that attempted to deal a surprise hit against her.

Diavel was a pretty smart tactician in the case of making the battle strategy; having formed seven different groups named 'A' to 'G', all with different tasks in handling the fight. He personally lead the charge against Illfang with Group A, C and D. Kirito and his team, on the other hand, was part of Team E—unfortunately lead by Kibaou, but that was beside the point—and they took on the sentinels.

The remaining teams stayed back and helped a little with the minions, and would replace any of the assault teams so that they could heal up in the meantime.

"Move in and intercept, Group B! Group A, switch out and heal! Group E and F, keep it up!" His words were loud and managed to reach everyone within the room, and Diavel returned to the battle, slashing his blade right through Illfang's calve, causing it to falter somewhat.

Another batch of players rushed in and tanked a hit from Illfang's massive axe, with a large bald man who went by the name of Agil at the fore. Their effort inevitably caused its intended «Sword Skill» to backfire, forcing it to undergo a post-motion delay. The assaulters rushed in altogether and unleashed the strongest «Sword Skills» that they had at their disposal, erasing the first health bar.

"Alright! Group A, C, switch with Group B and D! Group F, rush in for assist!" Shouted Diavel once more.

The battle continued that way, with the players being the ones who were on the better side of things. The sentinels were pretty easy to predict, hence making the task of dispatching them being relatively simple.

The girls in his group were doing incredibly well too, no less, standing their grounds without much difficulty against the minions.

"Switch!"

"Got ya'!"

The black-haired boy swapped places with his rapier-wielding friend, delivering a single sword swing that decapitates the Ruin Kobold Sentinel, killing it and turning it into an explosion of fragments.

Somewhere in the distance, Vabel effortlessly skewers a Ruin Sentinel Kobold before unleashing a «Linear», tearing right through a horde of minions. Asuna defended his flank by deflecting a minion's attack, allowing Argo to land the killing blow.

He sighed once before looking back at the boss battle, noticing its second health bar already reaching the red zone. Things are going great! They'll just have to keep it up a little longer and they'll be good to go!

"Huh? Get out of here," he cuts down a minion that attempted to ambush him, staring at where it stood with a disappointed look. "Yeah, you guys aren't that great."

Maybe it's more of his fault for being pretty over-levelled. Yeah, it probably is.

The battle proceeds as it should, and nothing is so odd. Fighting the minions and the boss wasn't too hard, and with the high number of players, everything was rather simple. It wasn't much longer before, just as they predicted, Illfang releases a powerful roar in that moment, a clear sign that it now stood with the last remaining dredges of its strength, with just one health bar remaining. Its eyes glowed red and its snarling is loud, bestial.

"Yeah, looks like it's on its last legs!" Shouted Kibaou with a wide grin.

"Alright then, it's time!" Shouted Diavel, suddenly breaking out of formation and charging towards the boss monster alone. "Leave it to me!"

His sudden action takes the black-haired boy by surprise. 'What the hell is he doing? We're supposed to surround Illfang and strike together!'

Even Kirito knew that trying to solo a boss was dangerous, and this is coming from him!

Everything is going just as expected, though. Just as the guidebook had said, and similar to how it had gone down during the Beta Test, Illfang promptly tossed aside his axe and shield.

But Kirito is in time to see the monster grab the weapon on its back, and his eyes widen, voice coming out in a shout of disbelief.

"Oh shit, that's not a talwar! It's a nodachi! Get back!"

"Huh?"

Any single person could have made the assumption that both weapons were similar, but for someone who's played games seriously his whole life and loves to study just about everything (call him a nerd or a know-it-all douchebag, whatever), he could see the differences right away.

And for Illfang to be wielding a nodachi instead of a talwar, it meant one thing.

Kayaba had changed the game.

'Shit..!' Cursing yet again, he could see how Diavel was preparing to intercept Illfang's weapon, both their swords glowing as a means of a «Sword Skill» ready to be unleashed. But Illfang's position meant that it was going to use a «Tsujikaze», a powerful one-hit strike that could kill the man in one blow.

Too fast, too strong. He won't survive!

"Crap, he's going to get himself killed..! Diavel!"

"Kirito-kun!"

Noise in the background became nothing but garbles and blur as he poured all his strength into his legs, running forwards with all the speed that he possessed. This cannot happen!

Diavel is shouting as his sword gleams a bright blue, lifting it rapidly from where it was positioned on his shoulder; «Vertical». Illfang's blade was green, and ready to reap what it came for.

Every player were suddenly stuck, but one person in particular charged forwards, becoming a black blur as he promptly shoves the bluenette out of the way with a firm punch, leaving him in the point-blank range of Illfang's sword.

'Ah, fu—'

*GhhrhRa!*

Kirito could barely finish the curse in his head before Illfang, releasing a deadly roar yet again, promptly slashed at the boy with a powerful blow, knocking him greatly backwards.

"Gah..!" A strangled noise slipped from his lips as his health took a bad blow there, a shadow cast on his person all of a sudden. "Oh, come on..!"

Not losing its momentum, Illfang unleashes a «Ukifune», launching him quickly into the air like a ragdoll, the strength behind its attack knocking him a good ways back.

The other players were taken aback by this, but some were quick to rush to their downed field leader's side, while others formed a wall to block him. Illfang lands and, with a mighty roar of its own, begins to attack the other players, more of its minions spawning out of thin air.

From a distance away, lying on the ground beside a pillar (if it weren't an Immortal Object, it might just have a teenage-shaped indentation in its surface), a young player struggles to rise onto his feet, feeling more drained than he should be injured.

"Good thing… this is just a game… Or else I'd have passed out from the pain…"

"_Kirito_!"

He didn't have much of a chance to look up before three figures stood before him, all of them lowering themselves with looks of fearful concern aimed directly at his person.

He looked at his health bar, and their worry was well-founded. It's red, and if he had to make a guess, it was probably at least 30%. Holy crap, how did he literally survive everything that came at him? Two full blows that would have reduced any normal player's health all the way to zero—it's insane.

It helped that, no matter how much he would take, he could never feel any form of pain.

But it still made him woozy.

Despite whatever vertigo that he was having from getting thrown around, he managed to look at the girls with a weak grin. "Heh… Worried you, didn't I?"

"Of course we're worried about you! Y-You almost got yourself killed!" Forcing away tears, such a sight from Asuna made him flinch on the inside—he just had to be snarky, didn't he? "Don't you get it, Kirito-kun?! Y-You almost died..!"

"…I'm sorry," what else was he supposed to say? Knowing the situation that he was in, he doubted anything else would have been appropriate. "I'm really sorry..."

"D-Damn it, drink up!" Quickly pulling out a health potion, Argo brings the vial to his lips, which he hastily gulps down despite its rather not-pleasant-but-not-bad taste, able to see how she was clasping it really tightly. "Y-You're gonna' be okay! Just… J-Just stay down!"

"Everyone…" They heard Vabel mutter, her attention fixed on the battle, getting everyone to look as well.

And things aren't looking so good anymore.

Now in a state of desperation and with a different weapon compared to the Beta Test, Illfang was literally wrecking the players, initiating a number of «Sword Skills» that made little work of its problems. The minions haven't changed in attack patterns, so the support teams were doing okay enough.

But with the fact that Diavel was currently out of the game for the moment, the players were lost on what they should do.

Most of the tank teams were busy protecting Diavel, the assault teams were just trying their damned best to try and handle Illfang, and the support team were still holding up well enough.

What Illfang does next, however, completely breaks the plan altogether.

"Everyone, altogether!" Readying his mace, the orange-haired man lead a few men towards the boss monster, all of them releasing battle cries as they attempt to kill the monster.

Unfortunately for them, however, Illfang was smarter; with a wide sweeping attack, it knocked back the players. No matter who raised their shields or attempted to parry its attack, none of them were able to completely defend themselves against the bipedal monster, all of them sent flying back.

A new wave of players are charging towards the monster, unaware of how its eyes suddenly seem to _gleam _a little; a brighter shade of red that could have been mistaken as a trick of the light. With a massive leap, it vaulted over its attackers before breaking into a swift sprint forwards, ignoring every other players in the room.

The three girls watched with aghast looks.

It was going after Kirito.

"Shit! Protect Kii-bou!" Shouted Argo, her fear buried underneath her newly-formed vigour as she got back onto her feet, quickly putting on her claw weapons.

The players moved yet again, with the large bald man's team quickly assembling themselves in its path. It easily removes them from its path with a wide sweeping attack, its momentum unbroken as it continues rushing towards the downed ravenette once more.

'Damn, my health's still not high enough..!' It was still too low, only barely having just turned yellow. 'Crud! Everyone, be careful..!'

Asuna and Vabel were quick to unsheathe their weapons, the latter of which rushed forwards to meet Illfang head-on. Her beautiful blade parried its massive blade, but the strength was clear; she struggled to push it back long enough before it initiated a «Tsujikaze», slashing its weapon across her body and causing her to hack, knocking her all the way into a column.

"V-Vabel..!"

"Vabel-chan! How dare you?!"

Having lost any semblance of calm, Asuna charges forwards with a loud scream, intent on avenging her fallen comrade. She rockets forwards with a «Linear», cutting across Illfang's torso while Argo leaps at him and initiates a flurry of blows straight to his noggin.

The other players move in as well, surrounding the boss monster, forcing it to rely on a wide AOE attack to quickly take them out. Some others manage to land a blow with their spears and axes, but it barely causes it to flinch, fighting back even more ferociously.

"No..! They're getting killed out there..!" Gritting his teeth, he got back onto his feet, ready to get back into the battle—"Gah..!"

He suddenly trembles, a clear sign of having been stunned from the combo attack that it makes him fall onto one knee, forced to watched as the monster dispatches everyone around him.

"Gha..!"

"Aa-chan!"

"No!"

His breath trembles as he witnesses Illfang effortlessly parry Asuna's attack before delivering a firm blow to her with the flat part of its sword, knocking her back with a damage that reduced her health down to its middle. Argo, in an attempt to gain distance from it, was too slow.

He could almost see it—that smirk the monster made. It drew its nodachi above its head, weapon glowing red before it launched the lithe girl into the air with a «Ukifune». It leapt towards her in the air with its might and initiated a «Hiōgi»; upwards cut, downwards stroke and a final thrust that sends her crashing into the floor of the room, the impact more than knocking her health down into the red.

"No…" This can't be happening. This wasn't happening. "No…"

He doesn't understand. Now, a strange chill has settled over him, a cold hand clenching his heart and keeping him affixed to his position, unable to move.

Fear. He knew what this was. It was fear, and it was integrated into his brain and the 'Nerve Gear' to prevent him from moving. This cold dread that wrapped around him like chains, keeping him in place.

His friends lay close to death all around him, and every other players are struggling in the fight. Some have to back out in order to heal themselves, while others were sent flying everywhere from its weapon swings.

Asuna, Argo, Vabel…

Is… Is this it..?

'**So is this it? Are you just going to lie down and watch?'**

'Huh..?'

A demon's voice. It rung in his head with a tone of authority that was a clear sign of his power.

And it wasn't mocking like Kibaou's usual tone around Beta Testers, or as friendly as Diavel's. It was an inquiry, yet with it came a sort of challenging tone.

'**Are you content with your inaction? Do you truly intend to burn their deaths into your mind?'** He asks once more. **'Do nothing, and they will die. These people you've fought with will all meet their end. Was your promise mere empty words, then?'**

Promise..? What promise..?

A flash of a memory, that of the vision of his smiling friends with him at the restaurant the day prior.

"_Definitely. We'll all win this thing and get out alive, together._"

And now they lay defeated, their very lives close to an end if he did nothing…

No, that's not..!

'Of… Of course it's not..!' He shouts back in his head, slowly getting up as he grabs his sword a foot away in front of him. 'I won't let anyone die! I want to fight and protect them! I want to save everyone, and get out of this game with them!'

That was the reason why he had fought so hard every single day. Why he had gritted his teeth and gone through countless days of training, fighting and killing, all for the sake of getting everyone out of this accursed prison! There was no way that he was going to let them down now!

'**I see. I commend you for your resolve, and shall answer it so.'**

'Huh? What do you—Ghraa..!'

***Thuk thuk..!***

"Gak..!" A wordless scream spills out of his lips as something bashes the back of his skull, causing him to fall to the ground on his knees and grasping his head in his hands, this weapon clattering on the ground. "Arrgh..!"

This pain..! What the hell is this?! It hurts… too much..! Shouldn't this game have a pain absorber..!

It feels as if every part of his body was on his fire, with his head in particular being set ablaze by a blowtorch. His nerves are boiling, his vision is growing bloodier in the edges, and his breathing is raspier now, chest tight and coiling inwards as sweat begins to form on his avatar's skin.

A wordless scream spills forth as the pain triples—no it has become more than what he could accept, creeping into his body and tearing everything apart mercilessly as his vision blackens, turns white, becomes clear once more—and everything begins to distort around and within him as his grip over his sword tightens.

'**Vow to me. I am thou, thou art I. Thou who art willing to go the lengths necessary if it means the survival of thy own life and comrades, to commit whatever sacrilegious acts for thy own justice. To break free of your chains and wage war against the gods that have forsaken you!'** He's shouting now, and with it, a thrum of power.

Jet-black wings. A burning grin. Black fire.

'**Prove to the world that thy will far exceeds any other power, and that nothing can stand in your way! Break thyself to become stronger! Become the sword that no one else can! Call upon my name… and claim your fate!'**

"Ghk..! Hhrha**hhaaaAAAAAAA!"**

A burst of wind cuts around him as it pushes back everything in its range, reaching the players countless of feet away from him, needing to shield their eyes from the powerful storm. Even Illfang is affected by it, a brief amount of knockback that almost tips it off its feet while whatever equivalent of shock mars its expression.

It stares back at Kirito when the wind had died down… and spots the beautiful black sword on the ground beside him.

Panting, the boy puts away his Annealed Blade into his inventory, grabbing the sword on the ground and standing back up with slight difficulty, his breathing raspy and continuous.

Everyone and everything are staring at him now, almost as if time had stopped in this room. As if the battle had just come to an end, and were now watching this boy of whom had just performed a miracle.

Face overshadowed by his hair, left hand open and shaking, it all stops as soon as he raises his head.

Everyone, the injured girls included, gasp at the sight they witness.

He raises the sword right in front of him, grips it with his left hand, and _shatters_ it.

* * *

Persona Vabel was, as most people assumed correctly of her, a pretty solid wall—in terms of personality, that is.

Well, it isn't like she's lacking it to begin with. She just doesn't respond to a lot of things that most people might find repulsive, awkward, scary or anything, really. Her natural ability to keep a straight face through it all is something that she attributes to… no, that isn't it.

Still, despite that sort of 'ability' of hers, that didn't make her complete unresponsive. She is, at the end of the day, still a human girl (one with otherworldly powers, and when something past her limit happens…

*GhhrhRa!*

Especially when it involved her own friend, of course she would be afraid.

"Kirito!" She could do nothing but witness as the boy was mercilessly struck down by Illfang's nodachi, only to then be launched into the air by an upward slash. "No..!"

The other players were beginning to move again, all trying to do whatever they could to fight Illfang or protect their field leader.

"Kirito!" Argo had _never_ called him by his username, often using the pet name she made for him. So for her to hear the genuine _fear_ in her tone was enough to shake even herself.

She shouldn't have stopped fighting. She still had a duty to perform, yet the fear that blossomed in her chest was quick to spur her into action, returning to his side quickly.

This is…

The three of the girls rushed over to their friend's side, who was coughing lightly after the impact. She glanced at his health bar and grimaced at its red colour; just a small tap on him would inevitably kill him, she realized, and it sets an anvil on her gut.

"Heh…" Despite his possible death, he still managed to bring himself to smile, his eyes shining with a hint of concern. "Worried you, didn't I?"

"Of course we're worried about you! Y-You almost got yourself killed!" Asuna was perhaps the most emotional girl there is, and for her to bare her sadness for them to see touched her heart. She really cared for him a lot. "Don't you get it, Kirito-kun?! Y-You almost died..!"

"…I'm sorry," he muttered in a soft voice, and she could tell that everyone's hearts clenched at his genuinely apologetic tone. "I'm really sorry..."

A part of her wanted to tell him that he wasn't at fault, but a larger part of her felt nothing but suspicion towards Diavel. Why had he been so foolish to go after Illfang on his own… until it hit her. 'Is he perhaps a Beta Tester?'

That could make sense. After all, all Beta Testers knew of the last hit bonus, and he could very well be aiming to get such a bonus than everyone else. But that was still reckless of him. Is he truly going to put his life in danger like that?

And his own reckless stunt almost ended up with Kirito dead, and—

"D-Damn it, drink up!" Quickly pulling out a health potion, Argo brings it to his lips. Vabel lifts his head a little, helping the liquid down his throat. "Y-You're gonna' be okay! Just… J-Just stay down!"

She would have voiced out her agreement on that matter had she not turned her gaze away from the boy, and caught sight of a terrifying scene. "Everyone…"

Everything had turned into a disaster. Illfang breaks loose and started attacking all the players, but one player was the one that it was targeting. And that fact alone had set her off into desperation.

_Kirito_.

It literally blew away all the other players before it started charging towards the girls, its eyes focused on one person in particular.

"Shit! Protect Kii-bou!" Argo's voice was shaky but strong, wielding her claw weapons as she got into position.

Agil and his team had been quick to position themselves before Illfang, attempting to block its path—they must have anticipated whom it was targeting. Yet their attempt did not work, as it easily took them down with a wide sweeping attack. It proceeded towards Kirito again, and the beating of her heart did not change—not, that would have been wrong to assume. It changed, yes, and with how quickly it was beating, only one thing coursed in her brain in that moment.

Fear.

Haste served her well as she unsheathed her weapon, rushing forwards with a silent shout to meet Illfang face-to-face. She struck against its massive sword with all the strength she had, yet the difference in strength was clear, and she failed to even parry its attack before she was quickly taken out, a brutal slash across her body knocking her crashing straight into a column.

"V-Vabel..!"

"Vabel-chan! How dare you?!"

Falling to the ground, the girl attempted to lift herself back up, but quickly lost purchase over the floor. With a small hack, crimson liquid drips onto the ground with a splat, her vision blurry.

Blood.

She had told Kirito that she entered this world through magic. That was true, without doubt, so the fact that she isn't recognized by the game as a proper 'entity' means that she doesn't receive any of its benefits that other players do; namely, the pain absorber.

She would never tell him of this little fact, afraid that he wouldn't take it well. It was, to that end, that she always focused on her speed; the faster she could move, the quicker she could evade enemies. And yet, here she is, weak and defeated.

And right now, pain sears through her system as her body attempts to recuperate from the damage dealt to her. She lifts a hand to wipe away the blood down her lips and looks at her allies, feeling her stomach fall.

Her inability to do nothing more but watch as, one by one, Asuna and Argo are quickly taken out by Illfang kills her on the inside, her hand balling into a fist as she struggles against her weakening consciousness.

She quickly looks towards Kirito, still on the ground and looking paralyzed. Gods, she couldn't bear to watch him like this… How could she have possibly failed at—

"Ghk..!" His voice finally begins to take shape, the sweat on his face and tears in his eyes a clear testament to the pain he had just endured. And yet, even so, he had drawn forth the strength to break free from his shackles. "Hhrha**hhaaaAAAAAAA!"**

Something _breaks _as a powerful wind kick up from where Kirito stood, reaching all the way to where she was. What should have felt like a violent storm was also gentle, almost as if the wind understood who she was and left cold kisses on her skin. It was comforting, even.

To everyone else, however, something sporadic and dangerous was occurring, that even the boss had its guard raised.

It stares back at Kirito when the wind had died down… and spots the beautiful black sword on the ground beside him.

Panting, the boy who looked like he had just been put through hours of relentless training stores his Annealed Blade into his inventory, grabbing the newly formed sword on the ground and standing back up. Face overshadowed by his hair, left hand open and shaking, it all stops as soon as he raises his head.

Everyone, the injured girls included, gasp at the sight they witness.

And then, Vabel's lips form a smile. "Finally…"

Within his Velvet Room, Igor pauses from making his coffee, his permanent smile widening as he looked up to the ceiling. **"**Ahh… It seems you've finally awakened to your power. Well done, Hero.**"**

He raises the sword right in front of him, grips it with his left hand, and _shatters_ it.

* * *

*Chsh…*

*Frhewwww!*

Against all the other players' expectations, blue flame ignites around him and swallows him whole—his hair, his body, his clothes. A soft chuckle reverberates from where he stands, and the fire begins to materialize into something behind him, a towering figure with a red, monstrous grin.

It's a mad, inferno dance around him as his clothes have all but changed; now, he stood there with a wild grin on his face and eyes a beautiful yet wicked shade of gold, clad in a black cloak and pants, the gear that he's wearing looking much stronger than his basic starting equipment.

The fire has died down a little, and behind him, towered a demonic creature with the looks of a gentleman. Wide black wings unfurl while soft blue will-o-wisps dance around his body. Claws sharp and long, feet equipped with knives of some sort, clad in what could be mistaken for a trench coat of sorts.

Everyone and everything is quiet as they stared at the black-haired boy, who looked at himself before staring back at Illfang, his eyes returning to their earlier shade of black.

"You've finally awakened to your new power…" Mutters Vabel from where she was still lying on the ground, chuckling softly to herself despite the blood in her throat. "And with such timing too… How dramatic, yet truly fitting."

Kirito, being too far from where she was to hear her, and more than a little surprised at what just happened, could only take a look at himself. His new clothes, this new _power_ that he felt within himself… what was this?

It felt so wild, so uncontrollable, addictive in a way… but it was right all the same.

"**Persona, the manifestation of one's willpower and personality,"** his voice rung out from behind him, everyone's attention fixed solely on the two. He exuded a powerful aura, and everyone felt awed staring at him. **"How odd, that I am to accompany another besides the Trickster… No matter. I am Arsene, gentleman thief at your service. A pleasure to meet you."**

"Gentleman thief, huh..?" He whispers back, looking at both his hands. "Heh, what a weird feeling…"

"**Indeed,"** and suddenly, he flaps his wings, unleashing a gush of air that shoots out. **"Now grasp your opportunity to fight back against this prison that binds you, and defeat all those that stand in your way! Wield me and your own strength to your heart's content!"**

"That so? Alright then…" He mutters to himself, staring towards Illfang with a wide smirk and spreading out his arms with one leg tucked behind the other, almost as if mocking the thing. "Come then, Illfang! Show me what you've got."

This seems to finally break the boss monster out of its stupor, its energy returning once more as it broke into a sprint towards the sole boy with its katana held high, perhaps intending to initiate a «Ukifune» and repeat its earlier strategy against Argo.

Not gonna' work.

Lowering his posture, the boy lets out a breath before he suddenly _darts_ forwards at a speed he hadn't displayed earlier, one that far outshone even Asuna who was the fastest of the bunch, with the demon trailing right behind him.

He doesn't make a move to dodge the attack, as everyone expected, but pulls a different card instead. "Arsene!"

The demon's sharp claws are suddenly spewing more flames as they move quickly to intercept the attack, striking the nodachi with strength unimaginable and sending its wielder flying backwards, skidding across the ground of the room in a way that defied every possibilities.

The ethereal being's body suddenly fizzles out of existence, and in his hand, the black blade from earlier forms itself.

"Huh," he looks down to his sword, its weight being more than he thought possible, yet it felt just perfect for him. He turned his attention back to Illfang, watching as it struggled to get back onto its two legs. Several Ruin Kobold Sentinels spawn in that moment, charging towards him to protect their lord. In response, he spits to the side with a narrow-eyed look. "Here I come."

He swings this new sword around himself a few times before sprinting forwards, the unimaginable speed not enough to make him lose control. He unleashes a quick «Rage Spike» that tears right through a monster, before quickly cutting into another with a simple swing of his blade.

Black cuts right through virtual flesh, erasing the creatures from existence with just simple blows. Two minions launch themselves right at him, weapons gleaming bright red.

With a grin, he simply wills power into his sword and unleashes a fast «Slant».

*Shing!*

Down they go, falling to the ground like flies before they expire.

A fresh new wave of Sentinels are foolish enough to rush him, and he scoffs back, easily dispatching them with a few low-levelled «Sword Skills». Despite clearly being outnumbered and surrounded, this newfound strength carries him through the battle quite well, enough to amaze him.

"Arsene!" Repeating his earlier motion by shattering his sword, the winged demon comes forth once more. "Ravage them!"

Five, six Sentinels. Too many for one person to take on their own.

But right now, with the immeasurable amount of strength that coursed in his avatar, he was just overpowered.

And with this ethereal demon, nothing could stand in his path.

"**Hrah!"** Slamming his claw into the ground, dark energy pulsates beneath the creatures' feet before erupting like geysers, consuming them and killing them on the spot.

Magic… No, something akin to magic, perhaps? Such power that he could feel just from watching the execution of such a brilliant skill almost feels like a magic show meant to draw in spectators, but in this moment, he was convinced that it was no show.

Perhaps for the other players, it was a show. But to Kirito, fighting here and now, he felt greater than ever.

Even without magic, however, Arsene easily cuts them apart as the monsters leapt at the two. His claws were weapons in their own right, ripping them to shreds with so much ease it almost made Kirito look like an amateur.

But of course, these lesser monsters weren't the main course.

*Ghhraa..!*

"Finally back on your feet… Good."

Without wasting another moment, he rushes forwards, cutting two minions in half before deftly avoiding an overhead strike of their lord's massive sword by sidestepping the attack, the tremors formed from the weapon hitting the ground doing nothing to faze him. Gritting his teeth, he forces his weight into one foot and moves his sword to his right hip.

The blade glows a soft blue as he shifts his weight to his other leg and initiates a «Horizontal», brutally severing Illfang's leg.

A monstrous scream later, and its leg is sent flying across the room, crashing onto the ground with a loud _thud _before a couple of shocked players and sending them screaming as they backed away from the limb, leaving it downed onto one leg as it clawed the ground with one hand while the other supported itself with its sword.

To actually damage a monster to the point of dismembering it… Such brutal damage is more than enough to erase a large portion of its health, now in its yellow and close to hitting red.

'That would have probably been impossible in the Beta Test,' he thought with amusement, staring at the red blood-like pixels that was its leg. He looks to his sword and narrows his eyes, gripping the hilt a little tighter and causing it to shatter—once more, Arsene takes shape, floating above him. Aw yeah, that's awesome. "Hey Illfang."

The creature, snarling in pain as it did, still managed to look right into the eyes of the human that had just maimed it… and saw a pair of golden eyes. And, should it possess the ability to feel, let alone understand what fear was, it would have understood what _intimidation_ felt like.

Like a reaper that's come to claim its soul.

And as each footstep brought him closer to the bipedal monster, with the smirking demon stalking him, the final step caused its heart to cease beating.

"Go to hell. Arsene!"

"**Hah!" **

Raising both arms above his head, willing them to come to life as they're eventually consumed by fire, he then brings his scythe-like claws down upon the crown of Illfang's head, the lack of effort not enough to undermine the way that he had bisected it right in the middle, cleaving Illfang all the way until it was now two separate parts, a bright red line dividing its sections before its body slowly parted.

All players watch in absolute disbelief as its health bar was brutalized there and then, and acknowledging its defeat, both parts of Illfang fell backwards with a loud crash, the floor shaking from the tremor. And like that, its body erupted into an explosion of pixels and beautiful light, with the words 'CONGRATULATIONS!' forming in the air.

The flames that danced around the phantom burned ever brighter, and the smirk of the swordsman clad in black was illuminated by the firelight for all to see. "Begone."

The first floor of Aincrad had officially been cleared.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

That better have been good enough. I swear, I _really_ hope that you guys liked that battle scene.

Butchered it? Did okay enough? Let me know how y'all think.

Again, writing fighting scenes is not my forte, but obviously there's fighting. So yeah, I'll do my best to try and write them. If it's not good, please take my word that I'll try to do better in future updates. I promise.

Now let me get some things out; certain people will be getting their Persona's from the original Persona users in the mainline series, that much is for certain, hence why I decided that Kirito here will be receiving Arsene. And yes, considering how he's a swordsman, I initially thought it would be nice to give him Izanagi. But I didn't because I've already planned for someone else to have him.

I've also revised the combat styles of both series and am currently trying to make it work. Trust me, it'll probably be worth it. _Probably_.

I was also playing _SAO:MD_, and the collab isn't so bad! I managed to land my hands on Joker and his weapon, and he's awesome. And so is Violet.

Also, as I publish this chapter, I just finished _Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers _demo on the Nintendo Switch, and it. Is. Awesome! I've played _Hyrule Warriors_ (not so bad) and _Fire Emblem Warriors_ (I didn't like that one, to be honest) before, but this one has got to be the best Musou-style but not really Musou-style game ever! Go make a Japanese Nintendo account and download the demo, seriously. Y'all won't regret it.

Now we need to wait for _Persona 5 Royal_ next month.

Well, that's all the talk for now. Thank you for reading and goodbye.


	6. The Lovers (VI)

Interlude I: T**h**e L**o**ver**s**

* * *

Do you know what they call people unwilling to accept truth? Fools. That's what they are.

After all, things can't change if one simply decides to blind their eyes with wool, thus preventing them from seeing the truth and acknowledge it as it is. Even if they remain stagnant, the world will continue to move on, unable to stop just for a few indolent individuals.

And for a girl born into the world known as Suguha Kirigaya, she was definitely not a fool.

Anyone could have harboured a guess as to _what_ she knew of, but it was personal, so only she herself knew what sort of pain she was forced to experience all her life.

Her brother may be the cause of it, but she could never blame him for it.

It's an odd story, she'll have to admit. Countless times she had tried rewinding key events and memories in her mind to remember just what had gone wrong in their time spent together, yet she could never properly ascertain the cause of the rift between them. There was no animosity, no real hatred, just… distance. Quiet.

It never felt right to her, of course, and she had simply chalked it up to older siblings getting tired of their younger sibling over time. She had thought that it was true, at first, but the way he acted around her, the way he seemed more… quiet, almost unnaturally so, had worried her to no end.

For years, she has had to deal with the lack of communication between themselves. Of course, when things came to it, of course they'd talk. But there was just this silent hesitation in him that she could sense from a mile away.

It wasn't just with her, either. He seemed less talkative with each passing year, and she could tell that he hardly wants to go to school either. He does make the effort to do work around the house, and even offers to take over chores most of the time, but she could tell that he does it mostly to get some alone time rather than trying to be nice.

Such was how it has been for almost four years. Has it been four years? Maybe more, maybe less—but she knows that she would do _anything_ to have her older brother back…

She didn't know that things were about to change very, very soon.

* * *

Night Time—5th September 2022—Kawagoe, Saitama. Kirigaya Household

*Thud..!*

"K-Kazuto!"

"Onii-chan!"

And she most certainly would have been afraid that he'd continue being this distant. Until today, it seems.

She couldn't have possibly seen it coming. All that really was out of the normal today ever since he came back from buying the groceries was how he seemed less attentive, more lost in thoughts than usual and genuinely more… calmer, for a lack of a better word. He didn't seem so distant, not so much as usual, but he always had his head up in the clouds.

Seeing him accidentally hit his head on the table was more than enough to set her little sister bells ringing out of concern.

A lot of things could have been the cause for his lack of attention. Perhaps someone at school was bullying him? Maybe he had an assignment that he had to complete and he only remembered it now, and that he wasn't able to do it because he had to buy the groceries? Or was she just overthinking it?

Truly, no amount of years could have possibly prepared her for what she was about to hear.

"Just…" He began with a weak tone, uncertainty and hesitation clearly showing in just his body movement. "It's a girl."

…What?

"A… girl..?"

"Girl? Wait, really Kazuto?"

There were a lot of things that she knew about her brother. More than anyone else do, at least.

He was someone really brave, that much she knew for sure. He _had_ saved her when she was little, after all, having prevented her from drowning in the small pond in the back of their home.

He wasn't very talkative. That showed really well considering the type of person that he is; reserved, quiet, and generally meek. Not like he wasn't confident, it's just that he doesn't talk a lot.

He was really intelligent, smartest in the family even. He had built that computer of his when he was, what? Ten? That's not something anyone could do, and she certainly can't help but imagine how he performs in school.

But there's one thing that's definitive about the boy. And it's the fact that he wasn't good with girls.

Sure, that may sound a little mean on her part, but it's true! Kazuto has no _real _female friends (as far as she can tell, anyways), be it in school or anywhere else, really. He made it really clear one time that he wasn't interested in anyone, which was both kind of worrying but also strangely relieving.

All her life, she's _never_ seen or heard him talk about a girl.

And it seems that such a streak was going to end up breaking in the end.

"U-Umm, right. It's something like that. Well, it's more complicated, but… the thing is, just a few days ago, I met this girl," he began with a tone that sounded more confounded than adoring. "She wanted to talk to me about something, but about what, I'm not certain. I don't even know who she is! And… something about her is just wrong. I'm not exactly certain if I even want to talk to her, but… yeah."

Judging by how he phrased this mysterious girl, it was enough to spark anxiety in the girl. Kazuto isn't one to be worried about a lot of things, so for him to actually be worried about a girl of all things can only mean one thing.

She must be bad news.

"She said that she'd be meeting me again at a future date, but she hadn't given me her contact information and I hadn't done anything, so…" He trailed off right after, uncertain of how to continue.

Yeah, that was more than suspicious. No one in the world would _not_ share their contact info with someone else if they were going to meet that person. It just made no sense!

Now that she thought about it, he didn't mention _him_ finding her, but the opposite, wasn't it? And they didn't know each other beforehand, so if she managed to find him and correctly identify him as Kazuto, could that mean…

'No..!' She gasped in her head, her heart palpitating behind her ribcage. 'Is she a stalker..?!'

This is bad! If there's a stalker that's been trailing after her brother all this time, only to then show herself up now… there was two ways this could all go down! Well, three if she was really being pessimistic, but for the sake of her own sanity, she would settle on two things.

One; the mysterious girl is probably going to seduce him into taking her out for a date. She's watched it in that one ecchi anime (no one must know, it was an accident she swore!); black hair, cute face. Only difference now is the attitude, but the girl is definitely going to drag him around to places before finally killing him during sunset!

Two; she was attempting to rope him into doing something insane, which she could definitely picture happening. What could it be? Drug dealing? People trafficking? Organs selling? The potential is limitless, and she feared the dangers her brother would be putting himself in.

"…I see," her mother was calmer than she was, which was a given; she's just that amazing. "Well… maybe you just need to think about her and she might come out of nowhere?"

In that moment, Suguha couldn't help but facepalm, her mother chuckling in slight amusement. Of course she'd choose to make a joke like that, no matter how dumb or impossible it sounds. She probably got that from one of her drama shows.

Unfortunately for the both of them, however…

"Think about her and she might come, huh..?" His words were quick to draw the two women's attention, both of them staring at him as if he had grown a second head because—is he actually considering it? No way, he actually is! "Alright, I'll do just that then. Thanks, mom!"

Suguha smiles immediately. _Smiles_ because she would never want to be mean towards her own brother and because she was just too shellshocked to actually know or do anything.

Even her own mother was at a loss for words. Neither of them thought he'd actually take that seriously.

"Eh? O-Oh, sure," the both of them wanted, _so_ _dearly wanted _to tell Kazuto that such a thing was just impossible. And yet, with how glad he looked, with that wide smile and determined look he had, none of them had the heart to do so. "No problem."

He takes his leave immediately after, and the course of actions is forever changed for years to come.

* * *

7th September 2022—Kawagoe, Saitama. Kirigaya Household

Step forwards, swing down.

Step back and raise it back up. Then swing it back down, faster.

Kendo wasn't just a way to protect oneself with a sword. It was an art, one that needed much effort in understanding, and she appreciated the years her grandfather had taken to teach her the inns and outs of kendo, and it clearly showed in her movement—sharp, focused and strong.

She swings her bokken down quickly, one final move before she lets the tension leave her muscles.

Stick to the routines and nothing less. That's how it's been for the girl, even if it was kind of weird to be doing it alone. Then again, she didn't mind it whatsoever.

"Hmm… Wonder when Onii-chan's coming back," she spoke to herself as she grabbed a towel, wiping her neck that had a thin layer of sweat on it. She doubted she could do anything about her obi, which was already drenched in sweat. "He'd better be safe."

Suguha loved her brother. She really did, which was why she really cared about his safety; he literally left on his lonesome. Had he asked, she would have not hesitated to join him! And it's because she loved him that she would _never_ tell him off about what sort of friends he should be allowed to make.

He can take care of himself. Years of growing up with him had been enough to tell her that, but she just can't help but worry about him sometimes.

"Hmm?" She notices movement out of the corner of her eyes, and spots black hair. 'Oh, Onii-chan's home? Was the trip cancelled, or did she get back home already?'

If it was the former, it's probably because he didn't want to go or because she's busy.

Either way, it wasn't like she was going to complain about that.

"Onii-chan, you're home already?" She called out as she walked over to the gates. "You got back pretty fa… Eh?"

"Ah, you must be Kazuto's sister," she had expected a lot of things, but a pretty girl was not on the list! "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Persona Vabel, a friend of your brother."

Persona Vabel? Who names their children that? And why is she so polite?

She looks to her brother, and notices the wide-eyed look he was sending his 'friend's' way. "…Suguha Kirigaya, his sister."

What is even happening?

* * *

"Ah, so you're Kazuto's friend! Nice to meet you, Vabel. I'm Midori, but you can just call me Auntie, yeah?"

"Of course, Auntie."

Vabel… What a strange name for a clearly Japanese-looking girl like herself. Suguha will never admit it, obviously, but the girl's immaculate. Silky black hair, porcelain-like skin, noble's posture and gentle voice—she has the makings of a perfect girl, to the point that it genuinely scares her, really.

She knows the existence of few individuals who are just perfect, but she's never actually _met_ them. So for her to actually meet one face-to-face like right now is leaving her a nervous wreck.

Still, she's either a rock or a wall, no offense, because she doesn't react a lot to anything. With how calm she is, she could make a still lake be ashamed.

'Weird… Just weird,' she thought to herself, passing a cup of tea to Kazuto, who gingerly accepts it with a small 'thank you'. She accepts her own cup and blows onto the edge of her cup, trying to get the liquid to cool down a little before taking a sip—nope. Too hot.

With how awkward Kazuto looked, he probably didn't even invite Vabel home. She must have come here without his permission! Worse, she might have followed him from behind without him realizing it! And she knew that must be the case because he looked shocked when he looked at her, as if he didn't expect her to be there. The suspicion piles on.

"So… you and Kazuto are going to work together for a project?" Her mother asks after a while. "What sort?"

"Something important yet confidential," she was just evading her question! "The reason why I've come here is because I intend to immediately educate Kazuto pertaining to our project."

"Huh?" Kazuto is surprised yet again, blinking, and his sister swears that this is the most amount of emotion that she's ever seen from him in… ever! "Wait, what? What do I need to know?"

The older girl pulls out a stack of cards from her handbag, setting it on the table. Suguha cocked a brow. "Cards? You're… going to play a game together? Are you joining a competition, Onii-chan?"

Well, that's a little odd. Why go the trouble of stalking her brother (she genuinely hopes that Vabel didn't stalk her brother. She doesn't want to think the worst of anyone, but she makes it really hard to trust her) just to ask him to participate in a cards game?

Actually, now that she got a better look on the cards… What are those pictures? She could make out a picture of some guy looking jolly as he stood before the edge of a cliff, with a dog right behind him.

"Not the typical playing cards that you're accustomed to, Suguha, I can assure you that. Rather, these are—"

"Tarot cards…"

Suguha looks to her brother. So he knows what these are? Tarot cards, huh? She's never heard of those type of cards ever.

Let's see… Blackjack, poker, _Uno_… Yeah, not ringing a bell.

Vabel spreads the cards across the table and flips them to reveal the pictures on their faces. Each card had a picture and a number, along with a title at the very bottom.

'«The… Fool»?' She read the name of the very first card in her mind, quickly scanning through each card before settling on the very last one. '«The World». Jeez, who named these cards? Gotta' say, they sound pretty cool though…'

When her brother asked about the cards' usage in games, something that she had thought of earlier as well, the other girl opts to shake her head. "Not necessarily. They're mostly prominent in divinations and predictions, though there are several games that make use of tarot cards. What you see here now are the 22 Major Arcana of the tarot cards. The trump cards without suits. They will play a vital role in our project, Kazuto."

Project. What an odd choice of word.

So far, she hasn't made herself seem like a dangerous gal, so she could safely rule out the earlier possibilities of her wanting to kill him or get him to join her gang or something. Still, it's weird that this 'project' required him to study… these.

"That so, huh..?" Crossing his arms, Kazuto's brows furrow in concentration, his facial expression indicating that he was thinking. "Okay. From what Igor showed earlier, each card holds a significant meaning. «The Tower» meant doom, while «Death» was quite literal. There's twenty-two cards here, so that must mean each one has their own meaning, huh?"

Igor? As in, the Igor from _Frankenstein's Monster_? What is up with all these people with weird names that her brother's meeting?

The person better not be hunched back, she swore.

"Indeed. While it isn't compulsory for you to memorize the meanings of all twenty-two cards, which would technically be forty-four meanings as the cards could either be upright or reversed, thus projecting two separate meanings for each card," Suguha gulps, silently relieved that her brother wouldn't have to trouble himself with something like that. "Simply understanding the basics behind each card and how it might just define a person will indeed assist you in the future."

"I see… Is there anything else that's important that I should know of?"

"Not at all."

"Uhhh…"

She couldn't help it. With everything jumbled in her mind and too many words being spat out, her brain eventually crashed from the overload of information and she was left reeling in shock from everything, now on reboot mode.

How is her brother handling all of this so well?

* * *

8th September 2022—Kawagoe, Saitama. Kawagoe City Central Library

Kazuto doesn't really like going out a lot. Not ever a few years ago, by which he preferred just staying inside his room. He does come out to eat and take a shower, but other than that, he really doesn't like leaving his room.

So it was a surprise when he suddenly invited her out to a library.

Not the most ideal place to hang out and whatever, considering that he wanted to do some reading on those cards thing (Vabel actually gave him her deck), but he actually wanted her to come along! Who was she to say no?

"So, you know where we're going?"

"Umm… somewhere around the corner, I think."

Well, that's fine. As they are, simply walking together while chatting whenever they could, she really liked it. He wasn't much for conversation, but that wasn't really a bad thing. And he looked particularly happy with the state of things, so she'll take it.

"Damn, everything doesn't look so familiar anymore… I seriously need to go outside a lot more," he says to no one in particular.

"And if it makes you comfortable, you can just ask me to join you anytime!" She offers with a wide smile, which gets him to smile back.

The Kirigaya siblings reach their destination after some time moving through crowds of people, and she has to agree with her brother on how odd that there's so many people here. Well, just as there are the busier parts of Japan, there's also the more quiet regions of the country.

Maybe they could visit the countryside someday, just to have a taste of how different it is compared to the cities.

Oh, wait! They did go to the countryside once. She distinctly remember it to be four years ago, when Kazuto planted a Salvia. She wasn't sure what for, but it made him happy.

"Gotta' be quiet," she heard her brother whisper to her, prompting her to nod back in understanding. "Okay, let's go find a place to sit."

There was a shockingly large number of people in here too. Some doing work, some quietly chatting with one another, some conducting research—but there were no places to sit. How were they going to…

"Huh?" She noticed something in a particular shelf, dusty. She grabs the book and blows on it a little, only for her eyes to go wide. "Oh! Onii-chan can use this!" She quickly returns to her brother's side, revealing the large tome to him. "Ta-dah..!"

He squints his eyes a little to read the title, a small hum released. "Ooh, _The World of the Arcana, the Complete Dictionary_. Not bad, sis."

When he's done so, his hand reflexively goes to pat her on the head, and the girl is initially startled by this sudden gesture. It doesn't take too long before she relaxes into his hand, enjoying how it felt as she stifled a few giggles.

Immediately after, the siblings attempted to find a place to sit, though with a bit of difficulty. With too many people around here, it made sense that most spots were filled, so a small part of her dreaded the fact that they'd need to _stand_ and read.

Thankfully, however, her brother had found a place.

Unfortunately, there was someone else there.

And it had to be a girl.

'What is his luck with women?!'

"Umm, excuse me."

While he spoke to the girl sitting at the table and requested that they sit there, Suguha was mentally reeling from the fact that it's _another_ pretty girl that her brother somehow manages to stumble upon. Granted, Vabel was the one who found him, but this is getting ridiculous!

Maybe she's just crazy, but things always go this way; it starts off with a few girls, but sooner or later, the boy ends up meeting _way_ too many girls in his life and crazier things start happening. And she wasn't sure how to handle that!

Besides, she knew how dangerous (to his life) her brother's charms could be. First, a girl might fall in love with him, and then more girls will start to fall for him. And then, they might start fighting amongst one another for his attention and he would have to do something just to stop these crazy people.

She didn't know how right she would be in the future.

"Thanks."

"Err… thank you."

Still, she knew she couldn't outright hate any random stranger. Maybe this person was just that; a stranger to them, and they wouldn't ever meet her in the future. So she simply sat down opposite of the rich-looking girl with her brother, opening up the large book that she grabbed from earlier.

Well, whatever. She's here because she's hanging out with her brother, and that's the important thing!

Tarot cards. Strange things meant to be used in divinations, which is to predict something or to understand someone better. Maybe she's simplifying it a little too much, but the book hints towards this as well; either to dictate yourself, another person or an event.

She has to admit, this is much more fascinating than she gave it credit. But it's still odd that her brother has to learn all of this. And knowing him, he'd probably try to memorize all of their meanings.

"For example… This isn't «The Fool», but anyways. A priest is a symbol of purity, yeah? He places his faith in his god and the light. But mere blind faith is wrong too, and that can lead you to a certain ruin," he pondered on the subject with a thoughtful tone, his sister impressed by his wisdom.

"Whoa… That's interesting."

"Definitely. Wait, what?"

The two siblings look across where they were sitting, to where the original occupant of this table was sitting. The girl looked like a deer in the headlights, promptly snapping her hand over to her mouth.

"S-Sorry," she muttered, bowing her head a little. "I-I didn't mean to bother you..!"

Yeesh, talk about polite. It's almost scary how Kazuto keeps finding all these nice girls. And of course, he has to be nice too. "No, no. It's fine, really. Trust me, even I'm curious about what this stuff's all about."

Their conversation and research continues as the three learn more about all this Arcana business, even if none of them really make sense at first. Kazuto, most notably, is the one most absorbed in all of this. The other girl, who hadn't introduced herself yet, was just as curious about all of this, sometimes adding her own two cents into the matter.

The girl is «The High Priestess», Sugu's… « The Lovers»… and Kazuto is «The Fool». It probably doesn't mean much, but it certainly does make things entertaining.

"Hmm… Oh, it's time," the rich girl suddenly spoke up when she looked at the clock on the wall. Both siblings follow suit, seeing that it's already afternoon. They've been here for so long, haven't they? "I've piano classes after this. I do apologize for bothering the both of you."

"And again, it's fine. Having you around made things a little more interesting. Plus, we learnt something new about you in the process," the ravenette smiled back, offering the girl his hand. "Kazuto Kirigaya."

"Eh? Oh, Suguha Kirigaya," she quickly added, though with a little infuriation—at what, anyone could have guessed.

"Ah, Asuna Yuuki. A pleasure to meet the both of you, Kazuto-kun, Suguha-chan," she shakes their hands, and Suguha's a little embarrassed with how she was a little stiff when they shook hands. "Well, I should be going. Will the both of you ever be coming here again?"

"Ehh… Maybe, but we can't exactly be too sure," Kazuto pulls out his phone, showing it to the other girl. "How about this, we'll just exchange contact info. Sugu, you too."

"Oh? Got it."

"Very well then."

Exchanging contact information with someone they just met. She's honestly surprised that her brother's that lax enough to trust someone on the first day, though she supposed it's a good thing.

It's still a little annoying that it's a girl, but who cares at this point? Maybe she's just being overly suspicious just because.

Asuna stands up once they've exchanged contact information, bowing. "Once more, it's been a pleasure to meet the both of you. Let's meet again in the future!"

"Yeah, we heard you," Kazuto waves back at her and they watch her leave the library. When she was finally out, he lets out a sigh. Probably overwhelmed with interaction with girls. "Man, we've been in here for so long… Want some ice-cream?"

The moment he said that, her head practically snapped towards him, eyes as wide as platter and stars shining. "Ice-cream?!" He just said ice-cream! He was actually offering to buy her _ice-cream_! "Yes please!"

"Haha, fine," bonus; she gets patted on the head! "Let's get out of here. Oh, wait a minute."

He borrows the book, they get ice-cream, and she gets extra time with her big brother. This is the best day ever!

The days to come were just as great.

* * *

6th November 2022—Kawagoe, Saitama. Kirigaya Household

'Sword Art Online'. A VRMMORPG game that caught her brother's attention a few months ago.

To someone such as herself, who doesn't really play a lot of videogames to begin with, it's nothing so noteworthy. But Kazuto really loves videogames. He's wanted to play 'SAO' for so long, and he's determined to play it again once the official service began. It's gone to the point that he's holed himself in his room every day to play it.

And all of that changes. How?

Some girl shows up in his life and manages to get him less addicted to the game.

Yeah, that's an oversimplification of the situation, but that's literally the truth! It's odd how they become friends and he somehow… changes. It's not such a drastic change, but he feels different.

She could tell. He's more open, less distant than he used to be, and is generally more talkative than before.

Maybe she's a little annoyed that it's not her who's helped him out of his shell, but she still appreciates Vabel's help. She likes Kazuto as he is much, much more—not like she's trying to say she disliked him from before or anything!

Seriously. Months have passed and they've gotten the chance to bond together for so long. They go out a lot more, to the point that even their mom pointed out to her, which she has to admit she enjoys a lot. She can't even remember when was the last time she had spent a single moment away from him, other than at school, really.

And is it just her, but is he smiling?

'Oh, he is..!' Squealing on the inside by how happy he looked, she just couldn't tear her eyes away from his smile. He looked so handsome! 'Man, any girl would be lucky if they end up with him…'

Her brother isn't perfect. No one in the world is. But he's got a lot of good qualities that could definitely get girls' attention.

He has, after all, somehow became friends with two girls _without doing anything_! Imagine if he actually put in effort.

It's a little worrisome, really, if he does end up getting a girlfriend. She'd support him, without a doubt, if it made him happy. But she just hopes it doesn't end up making them distant again. She likes how things are right now—she wouldn't know what to do if that ever repeats.

'I'm just surprised that he's taking all of this so well,' she thought, noticing how he's looking off in the distance. She follows his gaze and spots a few kids playing with one another at a park. 'He's really quick to adapt to things, apparently.'

Guess that means that, if anything ever happened, he'll be able to handle it really well.

Maybe that's just too high praise, as some people might point out, but it could be true.

They walk in silence for a little more before her brother spoke up again. "I gotta' ask, Sugu. Are you taking part in any competition in the future?"

"Hmm… Nah, I don't think so. There _is_ a kendo tournament a little ways off, but I kinda' want to skip that one because it's too soon. I want to get some extra training before I join one," she answers in turn.

Kazuto has a confused look on his face right after. "What do you mean? You've been taking your training really seriously all this time. You're a really great fighter. I would know since I've seen you training really seriously a few times."

'O-Onii-chan's watched me training before this?!' The revelation surprises her greatly, almost enough that it makes her trip over feet. It doesn't, however, stop the smile from popping up on her face. 'Heehee, he's impressed!'

"Well, I'm not in the right to tell you to do whatever whenever. I _did_ quit kendo a few years back," he sighs this before rubbing the back of his head, looking at her with an apologetic smile. "Things must've been really difficult for you, huh? Some brother I am."

The mention of such an incident spurs her mind through memory lane; how, one day, a young Kazuto announced how he intended to drop kendo because he lost interest in it.

It came out of nowhere, too. The two children were literally training together with their grandfather before he just said how he didn't want to train anymore.

That was more than enough to spark anger in the old man as he suddenly went on a 'rampage'; scolding the boy to no ends and threatening to hit him with his shinai. Kazuto was too stubborn and stood his ground, and even their grandfather was starting to reach his limit.

And that forced her to do what she had to.

'_I'll do it!_' She remembered, so clearly, what she had said that day. How she stood before her brother, small and little, but determined all the same. '_I promise I'll do my best for the both of us! Just leave my big brother out of this!_'

She remembered how disappointed her grandfather was later on. Kazuto dropped it after some time, of course, because no one could ever stay mad at anyone (unless someone was vengeful enough, which their grandfather thankfully wasn't). Kazuto may not have shown it very well, but he'd been really grateful for what she did.

Two years later, and he became different. He became distant, cold, quiet. And things changed again, and here they stood. Together.

"Don't worry about it, really. It's fine. It's not like it's so difficult," snorted the girl, trying to make light of the situation in an attempt to placate him. "Besides, I really do enjoy kendo, so there's nothing that you need to worry about."

"That so, huh..? I guess I'll have to take your word for it," he sighed again, but this time, he looked a little better.

Smiling back, she makes to ask him something. "Anyways, all of that aside. Onii-chan, you're gonna' play that game of yours later, right?" She remembered that 'SAO's official service should be starting today. "One o' clock, huh..? I've kendo training to get to today, and I don't have a 'Nerve Gear' of my own. Man, this sucks!"

Pouting while her brother laughed, she genuinely felt distraught at not being able to play the game with him. It's bad enough that 'NerveGears' are pretty costly, but she really wants to play 'SAO' with him!

"Haha, don't worry about it. I'll be sure to finish as quickly as I could," he tells her, and she was secretly relieved by this. "I'll prolly' finish around seven in the evening. No, for you, I'll cut it down to six. How's that?"

Six in the evening… That sounded pretty good, and yet…

Her eyes narrowed in a cheeky way as she glanced over to her brother, who repeated the gesture, though with a smirk on his face—he's been doing that a lot these past few weeks, actually.

"Mmm… Five."

"Ooh… You drive a hard bargain, but very well. Five it is."

They were serious for literally five seconds before bursting into laughter. Honestly, people would be calling them silly but it's fun.

These sort of things that they've begun doing together… She will never get tired of them. She knew that from the bottom of her heart.

"Alright, I'll see you at five o' clock, Onii-chan!" She shouts to him as she slung her shinai over her shoulder, waving to her as she began jogging down the road. "Bye!"

He doesn't say anything, but he does wave back. And that smile of his… God, it is difficult not to appreciate such a look!

Training will go by in a flash!

* * *

6th November 2022—Suguha's School

School. Is. Such. A. _Draaaaaag_.

'I can't wait for this to be over…' Thought Suguha to herself as she groaned in her head, unable to handle her teacher's droning as he scribbled some stuff on the blackboard. 'I wanna' go home already…'

It's really odd, to be honest. She never had any trouble just tuning him out—people could call her rude, but she can't help it! It's so boring! The guy's an old man, and not the kind of old man that's really interesting because she does know some old people who are really funny and nice. This one's really grumpy.

But as of late, she's always wanted to get back home really early. Thankfully, taking her bicycle is enough to get her from one place to the next quickly enough.

She knows why; she wants to go hang out with her brother again.

Is that weird? Nah, probably not. There's a lot of siblings who like to spend time together, and such is the case for her.

'I have training today, but I should be able to cut things short…' She thought to herself, resting her chin on her knuckle as she thought about what to do once she gets back home. 'Maybe we can make salad together. Ooh, and there's that one anime that's premiering today! I wanna' watch it with Onii-chan!'

Hmm… Actually, scratch that. If they're going to watch anime together, there should be popcorn. She'll need to buy popcorn. Maybe she could grab some on the way home—

The classroom door was swung open with a force that rivalled a sledgehammer, sending a few students jumping in their seats. A few even fell off altogether, and the teacher's head snapped towards the rude student, a scolding at the ready.

"Suguha-chan! I-I mean, Kirigaya-san!" The girl's head moved to the source of the voice; Nagata Shinichi, her classmate with black hair that looked unkept and small glasses. He just went to the toilet. Why does he look so panicked? "S-Something bad happened! You need to go home already!"

The other students in the classroom started muttering amongst one another in confusion while the girl's stomach formed a pit.

"What're ya' talking about, boy?" Asked the teacher, crossing her arms with a not-so-pleased look on his face. "You're bothering the class."

"I-It's… 'Sword Art Online'! 'SAO', the game that started today!" He sputtered out, all his words like domino. "It's a terrorist attack! I don't know, people suddenly can't log out of the game and are trapped in there! I think three hundred people are already dead! I-I don't know, it happened so fast, and—"

"W-What?" Her voice came out in a gasp, standing up too quickly that it sends her chair falling onto its sorry. "W-What do you mean..?"

" 'Sword Art Online', your brother, home! Go!" He was panicking, she could tell, and he's reached his limit, breaking like a dam and letting everything gush out.

That was the final nail in the coffin that set her loose, causing the girl to rush out of the classroom despite her teacher calling out after her and all the other students panicking.

'Sword Art Online'. He was playing it a while ago, wasn't he? That means he's at home, and if he can't get out..!

'No, no, no..! Please, let me reach him in time..!' She prayed desperately that it was all a joke. Some twisted prank that her brother roped Shinichi into doing just to get her to run. 'Come on..!'

Hastily putting on her shoes, the schoolgirl had all but ignored the bicycle as she raced down the street, uncaring of the countless looks that she was receiving from any passers-by. Even if her calves were beginning to ache from all the running, she poured every strength she had in her into them, willing herself to continue at her pace and accelerate as much as she could, one goal in mind.

Getting back home and get to Kazuto, no matter what.

Five minutes. It felt too long, but by then, her house was already in view and she's left panting and sweating down to her breast that it left her clothes wet. Despite it all, she was prepared to…

"N-No," she muttered, breath leaving her chest cavity as her hands moved to her mouth, eyes reflecting all the fear in her system as her arms trembled. "No..!"

It couldn't be possible. There was just no way. She refused to believe it.

But she wasn't a fool blind to reality, no matter how heart-clenching it was.

Her brother, once so full of life and all smiles, now reduced to an unmoving body being moved out of the house with a gurney by a team of medical professionals, an ambulance stationed right outside. All around the area, yellow police tape meant to keep any suspicious individuals or curious onlookers away from the scene.

And yet, her mind wasn't clear. She had all but ducked beneath the tape and rushed towards her brother, intending to—

"Hey, stop!" The girl yelped as someone grabbed her arm, pulling her away from her brother. _Away_ from her brother—"You can't be here right now! You can clearly see the police tape, right? This is a crime scene!"

"L-Let me go!" She cried out, struggling to free herself from the officer's, shot him a glare. "Let me go, that's my brother over there! I need to get to him!"

"Girl, there's nothing you can do to help him! You'll only make things worse for him!" He shouted back in turn, the authority in his tone matching her stubbornness to break free and get to him. It made things even worse once he wrenched her other hand and forced both arms behind her back, which completely forced her into inaction.

Three seconds. That was all it took for her comatose brother to be inserted into the ambulance, and she broke there and then.

Her brother, someone she loves. A young boy whom she firmly believed had done nothing to deserve this form of punishment, someone whom she finally grew closer to after years' worth of detachment, someone that she's finally started reconnecting with after all these years…

And just like that. Gone.

"No… No! Onii-chan, wake up!" She screamed at the top of her voice, throat becoming hoarse as tears flooded her vision and fell. "Please, wake up! Do-Don't leave me..! _Please_..!"

Even as the young girl fell to her knees, sobbing and clutching the hem of her skirt incredibly tightly, with the officer awkwardly patting her on the back as a means of comforting her, despite how lame it was, the world continues to move.

And her brother is out of sight a few moments later.

* * *

20th November 2022— Kawagoe, Saitama. Chiyoda Hospital

"Suguha-chan… Suguha-chan."

"Nngh… Uh..?"

With someone shaking her by the shoulder, it was certainly enough to rouse her from her slumber, slowly raising her head from where she had planted it on the side of the bed. "Mm, what time is it..?"

"It's six in the evening. You should be getting home soon," there's a small sigh afterwards. "Your parents will be worried. Plus, visitors aren't allowed to stay in here forever, you know."

Suguha lifted her head and stared up to the nurse.

Slim, pretty and kind. Soft brown hair that's tied up in braids. Firm and loving, also professional and intelligent. Nurse Aki Natsuki is in charge over Kazuto and a few other 'SAO' victims here in this hospital, which made her a trustworthy person in Suguha's eyes.

The girl then turned her gaze to her side, no sound escaping her lips.

There, lying peacefully on the bed with a 'NerveGear' over his head, her brother was sleeping. Sleeping would be the wrong way to put it, as in whatever world that he's entered, he most certainly is probably up and about, fighting his way through whatever demons that stand in his and the other players' path. No, he's only unconscious here in the real world.

The start of it all had been two weeks ago. _Two weeks_. So much time has passed, and there's been no word about their progress. They couldn't know; it wasn't like any of them could hack into the game to spy on their actions. There was nothing that they could do.

She wanted to take it off and just watch him wake up. But she knew that, if she ever thought of attempting that, she would inevitably cause his death. She knew so since the news outlet had already broadcasted the deaths of several players due to their family members taking off their 'NerveGears'.

What a cruel game… Die in-game, die in real life.

The girl was silent, and the nurse simply looked at the two siblings for a while before patting her on the shoulder. "Come now, you just need to have faith in him. You love your brother, right? Then pray for his safety. You can visit any day you'd like, too."

"Yeah… Yeah, I guess I will," feeling a little better, a smile burdened by pain and loneliness made way for a bit of hope. "Thanks, Aki-san. I guess I'll see you tomorrow after school."

"Of course," smiling back, the nurse watched as the schoolgirl stood up and began packing up all her belongings. When she reached the door, she shot her brother one last look—afraid, hopeful—and took her leave.

It was only when she was sure that the girl was far enough from earshot that Aki let out a small sigh, turning off the lights as she paid Kazuto Kirigaya's face one small look as she too left.

Such a young boy. To be dealt such an awful card in his life… What for?

That night, maybe she'll pay the local shrine a visit and pray for all the 'SAO' victims.

* * *

20th November 2022—Kawagoe, Saitama. Kirigaya Household

Finally reaching home on her bicycle, the girl lets out a sigh as she got off her bike and makes her way towards her house.

It was cold tonight, and judging by the several puddles of water on the tar road, it must have rained earlier. She's just glad that it isn't raining now, or else she'd be sopping wet.

Entering the house with a small 'I'm home…', she puts away her shoes before moving to the living room—

"Huh? Oh, dad!" Cried out the girl in surprise. "You're home."

"Yeah, I guess I am," sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, the man averted his gaze from his daughter. "Sorry that I couldn't tell you beforehand."

"No, it's fine. In fact, I think _I_ should be sorry," she joins her parents at the couch, taking a seat opposite of them. "I was visiting Kazuto just now. He's… You know how he is."

The parents were quiet at that, simply watching her as she focused her gaze onto her hands. Hands that held his as she waited in the hospital room, waiting for him to wake up.

Both of them had been shocked to hear from a sniffling and tired Suguha one time that their son had been hospitalized, due to the 'NerveGear' having trapped both him and every other user of the device in the game.

Her father hadn't been able to get back home, only offering placating words and such. Her mother quickly returned home and, bless her, had been quick to calm her daughter down with words of assurance and hugs—she knew she must have started crying again because both her face and her mother's shirt was wet again.

They knew just how close she and Kazuto had become after these few weeks. How it started wasn't important, only that they did. Incredibly close, no less.

So for him to suddenly be taken away from her must have equated to a dagger in her heart.

There was silence in the room, only sounds being the family's breathing. It wasn't long before soft pattering could be heard outside, indicating that rain was beginning once more.

Suguha glanced up to her parents, and found severe discomfort etched onto their faces. She wondered what it was before her father had been the first to break this silence. "Sugu, listen. I, umm… Look, there's something that we need to tell you. You deserve to know."

"Huh? What is it?" She asked, straightening in her seat.

"It's… It's about Kazuto," continued her mother, and this time, the girl couldn't stop herself from tensing, a sharp gasp drawn. "We need you to be patient with us, alright? Just… Calm down, and listen to us carefully."

Suguha Kirigaya had thought that she knew everything there was about her brother. She has, after all, grown up with him a part of her life the entire time.

That night, however, her perception was changed forever.

Within the virtual space of Aincrad, a young boy in black tears through the ranks of a monsters with his teammates in tow, looking up to the night sky for a brief moment in time to pray for strength…

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I'll add these little snippets from time to time, whenever I feel it's necessary. I guess they just add a better look into things, so that's that. Not all of them will be in reality. Sometimes, I'll add a few from other worlds or in 'SAO'. Guess we'll see how it'll be.

And worry not. _Everyone_ is a part of this, so Suguha included will play a part in the story to come. This is obviously an AU (is it necessary to say it? I guess I have to), so things will play differently than they should. After all, based on the wiki, Sugu will be learning about Kazuto's heritage in December, not November.

And there are some misunderstandings that I intend to correct, due to my rather poor explanation, so here's some stuff.

Case in point, to answer reviews from **derrickfoo0**, **Apex85** and **SaintInfernalNeos**.

No, there won't be any original Persona's. Characters in the story will be receiving their Persona's from the original Persona users. I'll probably be limiting it all to just _Persona 3, 4 and 5_. So, think of all the Persona users from there; Orpheus to Thanatos to Hermes, to Izanagi to Tomoe to Ariadne, to Arsene and Carmen and Zorro. These Persona's will be showing up, and they'll be the Persona's that our cast will receive. Persona's from _Persona 4: Arena Ultimax_, _Persona 5 Scramle: The Phantom Strikers_ and enhanced versions of the _Persona_ games will also show up. Ariadne, Valjean, Cendrillon and more.

I'm not original enough to make up Persona's, so yeah. Plus, I kinda' want it to be as authentic as possible, so no other beings from any other worlds will be featured.

I _was_ initially thinking of involving the first two _Persona_ games, along with the movie _Persona: Trinity Soul_, but I'm not familiar enough with those three that I'll not use them. Just to be safe.

Also, as suggested by **derrickfoo0**, they won't entirely be the same. I mean to say this in terms of elements and such. Everything can't stay the same, obviously, or else it'll be boring.

This is going to be a bit of a spoiler and probably not a well-liked change, but I need to give an example: Orpheus, in the original game, is weak to «Electricity» and «Curse», and is attuned to the «Fire» element. In this story, however, Orpheus is going to be «Ice»-elemental and weak to «Fire».

I've already made a separate Word document to list down characters and their Persona's, along with the changes. I had actually made all of that and wrote them down before I started writing the actual story, so I guess look forward to that.

Oh, and I'll repeat this again; characters are going to have Arcana's that may not be the same as the original Persona. Again, I'll use Orpheus as an example; Orpheus is of «The Fool» Arcana. His inheritor, however, will be that of «Judgement». Another example is Izanagi, who should also be «The Fool», but I'm making him «The Sun» to fit his inheritor.

Sorry if that's disappointing, but that's how it'll be. They may not make sense and will go against everything that you're used to, but it'll probably be fine—_probably_ (O_O').

Disclaimer: Wiki's the real source of info, got it? Don't take everything from this story seriously!

Also, to **Apex85**'s review back in the second chapter, yes, Gameverse characters will be present. Turns out, there are a _lot_ of Persona users in just the selected games, so that's a bonus. I literally had to keep adding until I could use all of the Persona's from the main cast in the _Persona_ games.

Well, that's that for now! Thanks for reading, and have a good day.


	7. Learning's Always Nice

Chapter IV: **L**ea**r**ning's **A**lwa**y**s Nic**e**

* * *

4th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Dungeon, Outside of the Boss Room

Kazuto Kirigaya had lived his whole life without much regard for his importance. All that he knew was the fact that he was, probably, just as normal as everyone else. He'd lived a relatively normal life like everyone else, so he hadn't been too expectant on things.

Every day, things were the same. Go to school like always, have the ordinary meals, see the usual things, live a _normal_ live. Nothing felt different or unique, and he had thought things would stay that way for the rest of his life.

But now, having met the mysterious man called Igor in the Velvet Room two months ago, having witnessed for himself the strange possibilities that go beyond logic, and called out for being special… It made him question everything he thought he knew.

What was his place in this game? Why was it that he, of the millions of people within this world, was sought out by Igor? What about him made him special?

Perhaps now, the answer was clear. And Igor's faith in him hadn't been done on a whim.

Persona… Such was the name for the very being that came forth to lend him its—_his_ strength, that which allowed him to defeat Illfang and save his friends and everyone else here from an untimely death.

Had Igor foreseen such a power within him? And had he reached out to him in order to help him develop this newfound power?

"**That was a well-fought battle,"** hummed the demon as he glanced down at the ravenette, who tilted his head upwards to look at him. **"Truly, you are just as impressive as the Trickster before you. I look forward to working with you in the days to come."**

Arsene's voice gradually softens before he fades away into the pits of his new inheritor's soul, his sword materializing before it too disappears in a burst of blue flames, along with his clothes. Once more in his blue tunic, pants and chestplate, Kirito's strength is sapped almost immediately as he collapses forwards.

*Tk…*

"Kirito..!"

"V-Vabel..?"

This headache… Great, just after what must have been such an epic moment, he has to (almost) pass out like every protagonist in a lot of shounen anime. Not like he's dissing them or anything, really, but it would've been nice if he didn't fall to his knees like this.

At least Vabel caught him. Sure, there's a pain absorber in this game, but he appreciated her catching him before his face had to greet the ground.

He was worried about how she attempted to solo Illfang and got hurt in the process, though he couldn't even begin to voice out his concerns before the rest of his friends got to his side, all with low health yet entirely concerned about him.

It was kind of embarrassing when he thought about it. Having three girls worrying about his wellbeing. But of course, he was nothing if not laidback, so he kind of used that to his advantage when he spoke up. "If any of you are planning to kill me, at least know that I don't even know what _that_ was."

What a comeback.

Asuna, most notably, looked the least satisfied by that, though she did crack a smile at his witty remark. "Jeez… You scared us all to death, you know. Are you alright, though?"

"I… Yeah, I'm fine now," nodding, he slowly got back onto his two feet, helped by Vabel. Scratch that, he feels a little woozy. "I take back what I said. I think I've got a small headache… Urgh. But it seems I'm okay in terms of my health now."

When he says that, the girl takes a quick look at their friend's health bar, and notices that it was full once more. So summoning that… demon, from earlier actually replenished his health? Nifty.

"Well, at least the boss is defeated," he looks to where Illfang had just been slaughtered, a little grin on his face. "How crazy is that?"

"Uurgh… Only you would be quick to celebrate something like this even though you were just hurt mere moments ago…" Face-palmed the auburn-haired girl, though her smile does come back quick to her—a genuine one, he realized with silent surprise. But it's a nice one. "Well, at least you're alright."

"Yeah, I guess I am. And the three of you, heal up. That was some pretty bad damage that you took back there for me. Sorry for that…"

"E-Eh? N-No, it's alright! It's not like you were doing it on purpose!"

"Yeah, Kii-bou, it's _fiiine_~! Plus, it's not like some dumb hunk of a monster was going to kill lil' Argo!"

"Your health is the lowest out of everyone, Argo. Take Kirito's advice and—"

"_Oy, Beta Tester!_"

The conversation between the four friends are rudely interrupted by a loud scream, gaze moving towards the source of the outburst. And of course, it just had to be Kibaou, who really had that glare look going for him.

Actually, now that they're looking, it seems like everyone else had gone quiet and were staring at them—or, to be more accurate, him. Most of them were curious, even Agil himself having that raised brow going for him. Others, on the other hand, were suspicious.

'Right… I somehow have a powerful skill that just magically showed up out of nowhere, or at least something I decided to pull out at the very last second, and that no one has ever seen before, so of course everyone's sceptical of me,' Kirito mentally sighed at this. Looks like the game's starting quite well for him. "Which one? Me or Argo?"

Again, he can't help it. Being witty is surprisingly fun. He can kind of understand why Argo likes doing that now. Huh.

"Don't give us that crap! What the hell was that?! If you could have done all that shit a long time ago, it would have saved us all the trouble!" Barked the orange-haired man, pointing an accusing finger at the teenager. "Diavel-san almost died because you didn't say anything! How're you going to take responsibility for that, huh?!"

Despite the headache he was having, he was more than prepared to give him an explanation, but Vabel had chosen to answer in his stead. "That is because he was incapable of drawing out such a power prior to today."

"Huh? That doesn't make sense! And why _now_ of all timing?" He asked again, haughty as ever.

"What you just witnessed him make use of is called Persona, the ability to give shape to one's own will, thus summoning powerful demons to be used in battle," explains the girl, eyes narrowing slightly—uh oh, there's the silent vexation. "However, such an ability comes with many a great criteria, and each one of them vary from person to person. Never are they the same for each one, and for Kirito to have been able to unlock the power of the Persona in such a time of need is but a miracle."

Yeah, he can definitely agree with her that it was a miracle. Any later or not at all, and something bad was going to happen.

He shuddered at the thought of someone getting _killed_ back there…

He's got to say though, as amazing as this power that he managed to draw out is, he was equally impressed with how patient she could be with the guy. Seriously, he should take a page out of her book.

"Yeah right! You're just saying that just to cover for him! I bet he got that power because he knew of some quest to do just because he's a fucking Beta! He pulled that crap last minute just so that he could get the last item drop!" That accusation gets the boy to glare back, genuinely insulted by that. Not only him, however, as the other girls were more than itching to lay retribution upon him. "Why don't ya' just tell us how to get that stupid power, and we'll be done with this game by then!"

"That is impossible," her words turned colder right after. "Such a power can only be inherited by those worthy. You are not one of them."

A resounding 'Oooh!' spread throughout the boss room at that direct insult, with even Kirito's mouth forming an 'o' at her while Argo failingly tried to stifle her laughter, Asuna covering her mouth with both hands and looking at her fellow rapier-wielder with disbelief.

That's the second time he's been insulted today. Kibaou just isn't having a good day today, huh?

Obviously, considering the person she just insulted, it made sense that he looked as pissed as he did, a vein bulging on his head. And knowing him, he'd probably threaten her. And that's his cue to step in.

There was _no _way he'd let himself be protected by girls. As much as he would appreciate the sentiment, that's not how it should go! If anything, it should be the opposite; he should be the one doing the protecting. What sort of man would he be if he had to rely on girls?

What would his mom and dad say, because Lord knows they'll never let him live it down.

"She's not wrong," he spoke up immediately after, quick to draw attention to himself before he started cursing at Vabel. "There's no quest that gave me this skill, alright? Even I didn't know it existed until just earlier. It just… showed up out of the blue. I'm completely clueless."

"And we're fortunate that you awakened your Persona now, and not any later," nodded his friend. "If not, Diavel over there had died. If anything, he owes him."

"Kirito did try to help, you know. He warned Diavel about the change in weaponry," quickly backed him up Argo, whose characteristic smile was gone, now replaced with a rare serious expression. "And yet, he broke out of formation and ran off ahead, and that almost got himself killed. He brought that upon himself. Not his fault he almost died."

Asuna quickly nodded, adding her two cents. "Indeed. Based on the guidebook, the boss should have weld a talwar, which I believe is a curved sword. From what Kirito-kun and Argo-san told me, that's what happened in the Beta Test. And yet, we've seen the change of weapon; a nodachi instead."

"And you know, you're quick to hate him so much, but don't forget the fact that he's the one who helped everyone on the first day," spoke Agil after some time, all attention shifting towards him—even Kirito, surprise adorning his features. The giant of a man was smiling, crossing his arms. "I was there too. He was at the plaza in the Town of Beginnings, helping all the players to understand how the game worked, from «Sword Skills» to other things. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who owe him for that."

Immediately, several players looked at one another with wide eyes, muttering amongst themselves as they looked at Kirito. They were quick to realize such, and some even recognized him, and he only hoped it didn't mean any trouble in the future.

Uh-oh. Is that appreciation and respect in their gazes? That always leads to worshipping, which he so dearly hoped would not come. He could deal with hatred, but not praise. Is that weird? Nah, probably not.

"Look, all of you getting yourselves too excited over too many different things. What matters is, just as Asuna and Argo pointed out earlier, the fact that Illfang changed his final weapon. That can only mean one thing then," with all eyes shifting towards him, the black-haired boy nodded as he voiced out everyone's concerns. "It means that Kayaba's changed the game. _Nothing_ will ever be the same as they were before."

Not much of an issue, really… were this not a death game, that is. But now that he's changed everything, he's basically got the element of surprise against them, and that was bad because now, they may as well know nothing. They're at a huge disadvantage, and that puts them at great risk.

Hah, no, that's hilarious. Like they weren't at risk enough already.

"Honestly… We just can't get a break," sighed the boy as he scratched the back of his head before looking at Kibaou. "Look, I get that you hate me. I'm fine with that. But did you really think I'd risk someone's actual _life _for some dumb last item drop? Like I care about that. Diavel's an idiot for what he did, but that doesn't mean I'd want him dead. But I suppose that wouldn't be enough to convince you otherwise, so…" He pulls out the Coat of Midnight from his inventory, and promptly shoves it into a shellshocked Kibaou's hands. "You wanted your item so badly, right? Well, there it is. Keep it if it makes you sleep at night. Urgh, first the headache and now you…"

He's already regretting this, but there was no way he was going to keep that thing in his inventory and be reminded of today. Get rid of all this dumb stuff now so he'll be spared of the headaches in the long run.

With that, the boy walked away, ignoring all the other quiet players who were just staring at him now. Passing Diavel, he shoots him a sidelong glance—eyes narrowed, almost a glimpse of golden that quickly melts back into the shadows of his irises. "And Diavel, don't ever think of trying to pull this shit again. Be a proper leader that everyone needs. You're a Beta Tester just like me. Use that brain of yours to actually help people."

And with that, he proceeded towards the exit of the boss room, everyone else too dumbfounded to even do or say anything else.

Silence. Nothing but absolute silence, save for the tapping of the boy's boots against the floor. No one dared to give pursuit in fear that they might be on the receiving end of his wrath—headache or no, he might have enough energy to beat the crap out of them. He_ does_ have that power of his, too.

Old people were right. It's the silent types that are really scary when they get mad.

Fortunately for him, three people in particular weren't exactly all that affected. The three girls looked at one another before quickly giving chase, ignoring the rest of the players who were standing in their places like mannequins.

Before they do leave, Argo pulled down on her eyelid and stuck out her tongue at both Diavel and Kibaou.

Agil merely chuckled as he watched them leave, amusement in his eyes. 'At least he's not alone in this one. Take care of him.'

* * *

If there was one thing that was going on in his head, it was sheer exhaustion.

After summoning that demon, fighting that boss battle and all the stress he's had after having been forced to deal with Kibaou, he's more tired than he's ever been in this game before. One small blessing is Kibaou who wasn't dumb enough to try anything against his friends, although he now has one guy who _really_ hates him.

Still, gauging out the expressions from everyone inside, most of them didn't seem to hate him or anything. Just surprised, mostly, though a few shared Kibaou's disdain towards him.

Well, that didn't matter. It's not like he expected everyone to immediately like him and treat him like some sort of saviour. He just hoped that Kibaou wouldn't be too stupid to attempt to PK him. If he did, though, he was going to have a surprise waiting in store.

And talking about surprise…

"Persona, huh..?" Muttering that single word made him shudder, remembering just how _powerful_ he felt. With Arsene towering over him, or when he held that black sword in his hand, wearing that black coat, he almost felt undefeatable. "To think that I actually have that sort of power inside of me…"

It's impressive that Igor actually knew that he had this power inside of him. Still, a little notice beforehand would've been nice. And it showed up in a videogame of all things—let alone the videogame that he got trapped in and was mentioned in Igor's prophecy. What are the odds?

Granted, anything could have happened. It would have been even crazier if it happened IRL, at which point he would have thought that he'd have a better chance at becoming some sort of thief who went around stealing hearts of corrupted adults instead of all _this_.

Once the headache started to die down a little, he was able to think more clearly. And there was one thing that he noticed right off the bat.

He looked to his health bar. It was full, and that was probably a side-effect. That's a nice thing, really. Although, that pink bar below his green one, which indicated his health, is certainly new. He couldn't help but stare at it a lot more than necessary. Nothing else felt out of place, or maybe there is something new.

'What is that bar for..?'

"Kirito-kun!"

He stops immediately. For a moment, Kirito thought that it might have just been his head playing tricks with him, but he ends up turning around anyways, and a surprised expression is drawn on his face as he spots the triplet jogging towards him.

"Asuna? Argo, Vabel? What are the three of you doing here?" He asked, hand on his hip and letting them catch up. He doesn't hide the curious look he has, finding silent amusement from this entire thing—for what, he wasn't sure. "I doubt it would be a good idea to join me, seeing that I'm now practically hated by all the players. Save for a few, hopefully."

"Ehh, I wouldn't be too sure about that. The only one who hates you is just stupid Kibaou. Plus, how am I supposed to leave when you apparently have such a powerful skill?! I've never seen this one before!" Argo let out her usual laughter, tilting her head with a smirk. "And with that, who else will protect lil' ol' Argo from trouble?"

"You're a pretty good fighter yourself, you know," sweat-dropped Asuna before looking back at the boy, smiling. "And to answer your question, well, I doubt there's anyone I'm more comfortable with than you, so of course I'll join you, Kirito-kun! You saved us, so the least I can do is fight by your side to the very end!"

"I as well. After all, I had decided long ago to join you in your mission, so I shan't leave your side whatsoever," added Vabel with a resolute nod, though with a faint smile on her face.

The boy looked at the three with a raised brow before shaking his head, a small chuckle spilling out. Honestly, these girls…

The group of four continued on their way until they were at the end of the stairs, the two massive doors before them opening up to welcome them to the second floor of Aincrad; a vast field that felt more like a savannah, with several large boulders spread around the area. Bright, hot and wide.

The three girls raised their hands to shield their eyes from the light, Asuna in particular letting out a soft gasp as she took in the sights. Kirito and Argo, having seen all of this back in the Beta Test, still can't help but be impressed with what they're seeing, and Vabel too takes the time to simply appreciate all of this.

A new floor… That meant 99 more floors, and for as much as that was, he supposed that wouldn't have to be too bad.

99 floors alone sounded dreadful. With company, though…

"Well," he began, grinning. "If you girls are sure about this, then who am I to argue? I doubt that, even if I asked you girls to leave me alone, you'd actually listen to me."

"_Of course_," replied the three girls in perfect sync.

He managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Honestly, he really should have seen this coming.

But… Well, it's nice. Hah, who thought he'd actually like having company? Man, things are changing so much for him. But at least they're good changes.

"Alright, alright. I guess you made your points very clear… Thank you," he says that last part a little quietly, just enough so that it reaches the girls' ears and no one else's (he doubted there was anyone else here anyways), before regaining his usual vigour. "Well, with all of that settled, let's go activate the floor's Teleport Gate and go home. I'm tired, starving and tired."

"You said tired twice," pointed out Asuna with a small titter.

"Heh, I suppose I did," snickered the ravenette in turn.

Together, the four stepped foot onto the new floor.

* * *

4th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Farmhouse

Night has settled over the world while the players opted to celebrate their victory together in the city, some dancing merrily and drinking to the tunes in the background—not like they were going to get drunk anyways, but it was the thought that counts.

It made sense for everyone to be so overjoyed. After all, with the success of the raid, it proved that getting out of this game was indeed possible, and that was a great boost to morale, something of which Kirito could appreciate a lot.

By now, he wouldn't be too surprised if news of that 'swordsman who could summon a demon' was going to spread. Faster than a wildfire, he predicted. After all, it's essentially a really powerful skill that none of them knew up to this point, though he hoped they'd get the term right and call it Persona, and not just demon. That would be a low blow.

Talking about our titular Hero…

"Ahh… That hit the spot," he sighed in relief as he walked out of the bathroom, having made sure to put on some clothes lest he scare off the girls in the room. Although, he firmly believed that Asuna would be the only one scared (more embarrassed than anything, really). Argo would be her usual teasing self and Vabel would be calm as ever.

They had gotten lunch earlier when they arrived at the second floor, which was a bad idea because they accidentally entered a shop that used poor ingredients. God damn, he hoped that restaurant improves itself in terms of food quality or its gonna' get shut down in the long term.

Or maybe it won't, because it's a videogame.

So, after accidentally wasting their money on bad food, they decided to grind for some quick money before returning back to the first floor, then getting some _real_ good food at a restaurant that they frequented before.

And that leads all the way up to now, where the girls had already taken their baths and he's just done with his.

"I am tired," he moves towards the bed, a deep sigh expelled as he sat beside Argo who was sending a message to someone. "I gotta' say, though. We're fortunate enough that no one died in that last battle. Morale would've taken a pretty bad hit if that did happen."

"Indeed. It's thanks to your quick wits that Diavel had not died immediately, though it does anger me that he had almost caused your death," she was hardly one to voice out her own vexation, but everyone could tell how Vabel was feeling. Heck, they agreed with her. "How foolish for him to try and attack Illfang on his own. It was meant to be a team effort."

"You got that right, sista'. I don't know what was going on in his head, but if he really is a Beta Tester, then he most definitely was trying to go for the last-hit bonus," Argo then turned her gaze towards her friend, pouting. "Still, I'm not sure if I'm completely happy with your decision to just give away that coat, Kii-bou. It's really good, you know."

"Hmm? Oh, right. Meh, it's happened. No use regretting it now. If I wore it, or even kept it in my inventory, I'll just feel sick. Rather get rid of it outright," it was the best way to put it, and shrugging his shoulders, it certainly makes for a reasonable answer. Sort of.

His decision is understandable, but they aren't exactly happy by it.

Honestly, items gained from last-hit bonuses on boss monsters tend to outshine many items that could be purchased or found out on the field. Stats like those can last a player for a good few floors, and survival is more important than ever now.

So the fact that he just willingly gave it away like that, to someone like _Kibaou_ of all people, is just… annoying, to say the least.

The silence doesn't last really long, though. "It's a shame. Kibaou would not look good in a coat."

Vabel was nothing if not honest—and effortlessly humorous, even if she was being serious. The other three players snort at that blatant remark, Argo deciding to go all out and laugh at Vabel's statement.

"That… has nothing to do with the conversation!" Forcing that out was difficult because he so dearly wanted to laugh as well. "Ah, God… Thank you, Vabel. How do you even do it?"

His question flies over her head. "Do what?"

"Yeah, never change, Vabel," he lets himself chuckle a little. Just a little bit! Nothing more. "Ahem. But to explain a little, I don't feel comfortable wearing something that's a point of controversy between myself and Diavel. So, yeah."

Someone out there in the world is probably chastising him for being a dumbass, but he could hardly care.

"You know what would have been cool?" Argo suddenly spoke up, as if a stroke of epiphany had just struck her. "You should have pulled it out in front of Diavel and destroy the coat. Guilt him."

"T-That's awful..!" Even with her words, Asuna looked strangely delighted from that.

"Indeed, but a rightful punishment for his misdeed," and of course, Vabel being honest as always.

He looked from one face to another before shaking his head. "Girls, no. I'm not the kind of guy to do that. You _do_ know that it would have been a waste if I did that, right?"

"Meh. I would've done it myself," shrugging, her excitement returns to her eyes as she sat up straighter, facing him now. "But let's move on to the real topic! Kii-bou, we need to talk about that power of yer's."

"Huh? Oh, right. Persona," he silently wanted to tell her just how quickly she changed the subject, but refrained from doing so as even his own interest was piqued. "Huh… I seriously don't know how it happened. I remember seeing all of you girls getting hurt, and then I had this killer headache… Scratch that, I felt like my whole body was on fire, or something. And then a sword formed in front of me. I grabbed it, shattered it, and… well, you know how the story goes."

Obviously, the part about him getting hurt was a minor detail in his opinion, but it does spur the girls to develop worry once more. Sensing this, he quickly calms them down with a few words.

Honestly, they worry too much about every single thing. He's flattered, but still.

"And you know what? After having some time to properly think about all of this, I have a feeling that _you_ play a part in it, as minor as it may be," his words are targeted at Vabel, who perked up from where she was seated at the table. "Am I right, or no?"

"No, you are indeed correct," nodded the girl. "My master, Igor, had sensed such a power within you, laying dormant and awaiting the right moment to awaken. I had no idea it would be today."

The other girls looked at one another, mouthing 'Igor' with a questioning look.

Kirito opts to ignore that. "So you know what it is, good. So, mind explaining some stuff for us? Cause' I've got no clue."

"Of course. It would be my pleasure to do so," so saying, she lifts her hand and wills fire to life—not magic integrated by the Cardinal system, but by her own willpower. From the fire, a card is formed and rotates slowly on a horizontal axis; «The Fool». "Personas. A manifestation of one's personality and inner thoughts. That is what they are, to put it simply."

Yeah, he remembered that part from what Arsene had told him. That Arsene was a manifestation of his desire and willpower…

And to think that he managed to draw forth such a power is more than a little insane. It's almost unthinkable, though he'd better get used to even crazier things happening, because he doubted this would be the end of it.

"Persona's take a variety of form, which differs for each person. I know so because I have studied several Persona users before meeting you, though Kirito is the first actual person of whom I've met and witnessed awakening his Persona," continued the girl, everyone nodding back. "A Persona influences the attributes of its wielder, be it physical or mental. Hence, why Kirito was much faster when he called out such a power."

"Right. I could tell that he was much faster than I was," nodded Asuna in agreement.

"And onto the subject, why does my Persona look like a gentleman? I doubt it fits my personality," he says this with a genuinely confused expression. "In fact, I managed to speak to Arsene a little… He mentioned someone called the Trickster, said how I inherited him from the guy? I don't get that part."

"If he has said as such, then what is said is true," from there, a small smile splits the girl's face. "Arsene is, in truth, the Trickster's true Persona. Why you've inherited him is something even I didn't think possible. Truly interesting."

"Weird… Weird. All of that was weird," the information broker raised her arms in defense. "I'm not the only one who thinks that way, right?"

"I'm the one with the Persona, and I agree with you one hundred percent," groaned the boy. "I've one last question. I just… I know, all of us are tired and we should be going to bed, but I just want to know how to summon my Persona. Please."

"Ah, that is simple," the black-haired girl promptly dispels the card and the fire. "Seeing that Persona's are a manifestation of your soul, it is accurate to say that you are fighting _with_ your soul. So, befitting your use of a Persona, it stands to reason that you will be revealing the truest colours buried deep within your heart. You are baring yourself to the world, hence you undergo a physical change to show off the truth about yourself," what an explanation. She could be a poet or something. "Draw forth such a power from within your soul, Kirito. Feel it… and pull."

Feel and pull. What an odd way to do it.

Then again, there could be weirder ways to do it.

Before he does that, however, he quickly accesses his menu. A number of circles with icons that show up, indicating what sort of options are available. And nothing is so out of the ordinary, of course.

There's the 'Inventory / Equipment' tab, followed by the 'Friends / Guild' option. Below that, the 'Communications' option. The last two are 'Maps / Quest' and the 'Settings / Main Menu'. All of those are the same as always.

'So, nothing there,' humming, he closes his menu and does as Vabel tells him; he closes his eyes, focusing as he outstretched his arm.

Blackness. Nothing to be seen in this everlasting darkness that he believes to be his soul. It's an entire expanse of nothingness that he feels is appropriate for one such as him; he doesn't have much to call his own, and he doesn't dream of much.

But somewhere… Somewhere deep inside, he can _feel_ something. And it's in his grasp…

*Freewww…*

"Whoa!"

"No way."

The familiar blue fire from earlier today wraps around him like a ring once more, and he's clad in the same black outfit that his tunic and chestplate turned into, the fire having faded away into thin air. Unlike earlier, where it felt like his entire body was burning, he only felt a small thrum of warmth in his chest, which felt comfortable. And in his hand, the familiar sword.

"Whoa. This is cool," he whistles, standing up and looking at himself. He even gives a small swing of his arm, causing his coattail to billow in the same motion of his arm. This made him smile. "Okay then. So when I wield my sword… I immediately transform?"

"Indeed you do," nodded the girl. "That is your soul manifested; your 'Regalia'. Considering how your 'Regalia' materialized as a sword, it's a clear indication that you are a fighter at heart."

"Ehh… I've _never_ fought before, not even IRL," nervously chuckled the boy as he scratched the back of his head. He'd probably get his butt kicked by some lowly thug.

"Hmm. Nonetheless, to summon your Persona, simply focus on shattering your 'Regalia'," she instructs him. "If you find it difficult, just speak their name. Shout, if you'd like. Previous Persona users have done that as well, so you needn't be embarrassed. Stand up as well, while you're at it."

"Uhh… sure," shout the Persona's name? Well, that's a little embarrassing. Her suggestion has a sort of playful tone to it that makes him suspicious, yet he relents all the same, standing in the middle of the room with all eyes on him. Soon enough, he takes the suggestion with a hesitant chuckle, clearing his throat before calling out. "Arsene!"

Blue fire sprout from beneath his feet once more as his 'Regalia' breaks, the gentleman thief materializing behind him. He turned around, gazing at his Persona in all his glory.

"**It is a pleasure to meet you again, young Hero,"** chuckled the demon as he gave a small bow. **"And to you as well, ladies."**

'Smooth…' Thought the boy with the urge to let out a big, goofy smile. Never mind, he's doing it already. "Arsene. The pleasure is mine as well."

"This is your Persona. Arsene, the pillager of twilight," whispered Vabel with a smile. "That is all. A three-step process; summon your 'Regalia', which automatically changes your clothes. Then, you shatter it. Last, you reap the rewards. Calm yourself and will your 'Regalia' away, and you shall return to your previous self."

"I see… Thank you for that," returning Arsene into his sword, he wills Elucidator away into the recesses of his heart. And with it, the fire burns away everything, turning his clothes back into the way they were. "This is so interesting… And to think that it shows up in this videogame. But it's really an otherworldly power, huh?"

Asuna and Argo were about to point out how absurd that sounded. That is until Vabel answered. "Indeed."

They quickly shut up and realize that, yes, that is true.

None of this made sense, and none of them were planning to understand it.

But that all aside! He thinks himself as a somewhat serious guy, but even he can't deny just how awesome this is. The stylish look, the ability to summon a powerful demon to fight—the prospect of it is cool, but to actually pull it off is even more breath-taking, which ignites the nerdy gamer within him.

"If you'd like, I'll teach you even more things that you'll need to know tomorrow," she tells him. "There is quite a bit to know when it comes to using a Persona, so this will be quite necessary."

He wasn't even the first one to answer her question.

"Kii-bou has to!"

"Definitely! I'd want to see what he can do too!"

The option is literally taken out of his hands, although at least it's the right answer.

"Yeah, I would like that," he answers finally, grinning. "Thank you, Vabel."

Argo chose that moment to throw her arms up in the air, groaning out in exasperation. "Urgh, it's great that Kii-bou got a super cool power, but now _I_ want it too! This is unfair!"

Everyone laughed at her at that, able to agree on that.

Persona's are hella' awesome.

…

There was some light chatter after all of that, mixing comedic topics with plans for the future. And for sure, it seemed that none of the girls were planning to go their separate ways just yet. Well. That's that, he supposed.

He likes it, okay? He finally admits that he likes having them around, alright? But he'll _never_ tell Argo that. That would just be his downfall, he knows it. She'll find a way to make use of it against him in some way, devious as it could possibly be.

Soon enough, the girls returns to their room (the three of them are sharing a room together, apparently) while he turns off the lights in his room.

Landing on his bed with a small 'Oof..!', he quickly settles onto the mattress and makes himself comfortable, a small sigh escaping his lips as his body quickly relaxes.

Honestly… With everything that's happened, he's inclined to believe that even stranger things are possible.

'What's next? Finding more Persona users? Entering other worlds? Get a girlfriend?' He chuckled to himself, unable to believe the sheer irony of things when all of the aforementioned things would actually happen to him in the near future—the last bit, though… _Hmm_… Debatable. 'Man, things are nuts… Ah well. All that matters now is learn how to properly use this power, get stronger… and get everyone… out…'

The exhaustion from the day takes effect.

Eyelids falling shut and mind inactive, he descends into slumber…

* * *

**V**el**v**et Ro**o**m

"…Uunh…" Groaning softly, the boy known as Kazuto Kirigaya (or Kirito in 'SAO') slowly rouses from his sleep, sitting up straight and rubbing the back of his head. "Hhwaaa… Man, that was quick. I didn't think I'd _ever_ be capable of power naps."

Let it be known that he absolutely _adores_ sleeping. It's a sort of bliss that far outshines every other thing known to mankind. And it's that sort of reason that, once he falls asleep, there is _no_ recovery for him.

So how in the world did he manage a simple nap? That's so impossible, but he supposed since this is a game, it could—

"Huh? Blinking, he noticed how he was no longer in his bedroom in the farmhouse, but rather some sort of attic. "What the…"

It's an attic, but someone clearly lived here, judging by how neat and tidy the place was—or at least as neat and tidy as an attic could be. He looked down on where he had been lying on, and it was definitely a bed. To his right, dusty windows that gave sight to nothing but endless darkness. In front of him at the corner was a desk with a computer and a miscellaneous of other things. There was even a TV, a couch, a shelf filled to the brim with trinkets and a potted plant.

He looks around and finds nothing out of the blue… save for the blue smoke that wafted on the ground.

"Weird. Wait a minute… the Velvet Room?" He muttered, getting off the bed with a soft groan and moving towards the stairs. He gripped the handrail before descending the flight of stairs to see…

"Ah, Hero. You are awake,**"** behind the counter, still with that permanent smile of his that's less creepy now for some reason, sat Igor. **"**It is good to have you here.**"**

Igor… Proprietor of the Velvet Room, a mysterious being with a power that would be far too much for him to understand, and the person who was the one who had started Kirito down his path.

He hadn't met him again, not even _once_ ever since that one time. He still had the 'Augma', but that's probably still in the real world on his table, waiting for the time when it would be used.

So for Igor to want to meet him now… Well, now's a better time than never, he supposed. But how is he here?

"You are currently asleep in your world. I personally brought you, or should I say, your _consciousness_, here to congratulate you on your success in awakening to your new power,**"** his words of compliment were genuine, and with that voice of his, it made him feel really appreciated.

"Thank you," he bows his head a little, taking a seat at one of the tables. "Is Vabel not joining us for tonight?"

The door of the café swings open, a soft jingling tune indicating that someone's come. He turns his head to the source and cocks a brow.

"Forgive me for my lateness," she says with a small bow, taking her place opposite of Kirito. "Kirito."

"Vabel. Are you dreaming too, or what?"

"No, I am not. Magic."

He paused to rethink her words, digest them, then sighs.

"Right… _Magic_," that's her excuse from now on, huh? Just _magic_? So she's here in her _real body_, unlike him who's in a dream avatar. What an inception; dreaming withing a virtual world that could also be considered a dream. Accepting it as it is will at least help him preserve his sanity for a little longer. "That aside, Persona. This power is _not_ what I expected it to be."

"Indeed. Just the same as life, which never goes as predicted,**"** chuckled the man, raising his hand. **"**You must have a lot of questions on your mind, and I would be more than happy to answer some of them that are within my capabilities. But know this; your journey has officially begun, Hero. Now, you must master this power and work towards ending this game you've found yourselves in. But trust in the bonds that you build with your allies, and know that our assistance will ever be ready for you, Hero.**"**

"Never lose hope, and hold steadfast to what you desire," Vabel says after a while, her master letting out a soft chuckle.

Right. The mission was to save everyone in 'Sword Art Online', and with this newfound power, it wasn't going to be as impossible as people thought it is.

There was no room for doubt to begin with, though.

Videogames are meant to be beaten, and this one's no exception.

"Also, in case you're curious, the plural form of Persona is _Personae_.**"**

"Ah… Is that so? I see…"

"Well, we learn something new every day, huh Vabel?"

**Thanks, SaintInfernalNeos.**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

The next chapter will be pretty boring because I'm gonna' use it to explain more things, so here's a 'Watch out, and don't complain' warning. Gotta' say, it's interesting on how to make things work, considering how this power is 'magical' when this world is a videogame, and getting everything to mesh together just right is a little challenging. But I think it'll turn out pretty nicely.

That's all. Ta-ta, have fun.


	8. Their World, Changed

Chapter V: Th**e**ir **W**orl**d** **C**hang**e**d

* * *

5th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Farmhouse

A fresh new start that most would look forwards to with a smile on his face, determined to get through it and make the most out of their time.

Right. Tell that to the thousands of people stuck in a videogame.

Well, Kirito felt that they _could_ be positive. Keeps the hope strong so that they don't try to off themselves early, work together and clear these floors a little faster. He's sure that he's not the only one with that sentiment, but God damn is it hard.

Well, good news is that morale's at an all-time high, following the defeat of Illfang the Kobold Lord, boss monster of the first floor. It was a sign that victory wasn't impossible, and that they could indeed get out of this game if they worked together.

And that was definitely how things are going to be.

"Ah…" Waking up from sleep, Kirito had to shield his eyes a little as light pierced through the curtains, turning himself onto his side and instantly feeling awake. The senses in this game is a little _too_ accurate, requiring him a few seconds to accustom himself to the light. "Last night… I was dreaming. But everything was real."

What an inception. In this very moment, he's technically _dreaming_, in a way, since his real body is in the real world while his mind is in this game. And then, last night, his mind dreams and he enters another reality.

And now he has a headache from thinking about it… Uuuurrrgh…

"I wonder if Vabel's already back…" He muttered to himself as he massaged his temple, thinking about how she showed up last night. "Probably is… Urgh, I need to get up already, or else the girls will never live it down."

He attempts to get up, only to fail and fall off his bed in his attempt to claim purchase, rolling off the mattress and landing on the floor face-first.

The groaning commences.

As if the god of misery (considering Norse mythology and their slew of gods, there's probably one in that category) wanted to have a field day with him, the door to his room chose that very moment to open. Soft chatter, all of which comes to a stop as the three girls stare at the boy laying on the ground, face down.

Argo blinks. Twice. Then, she looked to Asuna, then to Vabel. Then his bed, and finally him. "Are… you alright?"

The groaning resumes once more, louder this time.

* * *

5th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 2, Urbus

The second floor was all savanna with rocks and dry plants, looking like the vast golden fields in Africa. Its main town, Urbus, is a 300-diameter-in-size town built inside of a crater, with all of its buildings crammed together with very narrow alleyways and wide paths.

This place doesn't exactly have the same feel as the first floor did. And by feel, it meant that not many people would choose to live here, judging by its somewhat morose music and the rather lacklustre sights to see, though that didn't stop the NPC's from choosing to stay in this place all the same.

Thankfully, with how sparse it was on this floor, it made sense if anyone intended to make use of some secluded spot for secret training. And that's exactly what Kirito intended to do.

"Not many people know of this place, huh?" Muttered Asuna as she looked around, where they were surrounded by several rocky cliffs and little plant life.

Argo nodded back, sitting on a rock and dangling her feet over the edge. "Yup. Considering that Kii-bou wanted someplace quiet, I thought this was the best place."

Granted, this place shouldn't be too secret, but the fact that there were some pretty tough monsters that spawn in this area was a good enough reason for most players to keep away from this spot. Fortunately for them, though, they were pretty high-levelled to take on the monsters, so cheers to them.

"And he looks more excitable than usual."

"Can't help it! I really want to do some quick practice about all this Persona stuff."

He literally pleaded Vabel to teach him more stuff, and considering how eager she was to help him, the girls knew there was no helping it. Then again, they wouldn't mind seeing it again.

"Yeah, he certainly is excited," muttered Asuna, to which the information broker nodded back. 'Like a child with a box of candy.'

To be fair, she'd probably be going through the exact same levels of excitement and screaming if she suddenly had some otherworldly powers that came out of nowhere. Although, she had a pretty good feeling that he _knew_ just where it came from…

"Very well. If we can begin, Kirito," the boy perked up, staring at the other ravenette. "If you would."

"Yeah," nodding, he doesn't make much of an effort other than outstretching his right hand to the side, other hand buried in his pocket.

Without much trouble, he draws out his 'Regalia', undergoing the necessary metamorphosis. Clad in his black coat, he gives himself a quick look-over before looking to the other black-haired member of their little ragtag group, ignoring the whistle from Argo.

"So Vabel, considering how I've already awakened my Persona, I need to know _how_ to use it properly," he says. "And there are a few things I wanted to test out, but that's for later. Is there anything that I should _really_ need to know? You seem the expert here, so I'll need to rely on you for your help."

That's how everything works. Learn the basics and move on from there. Level up, grind, empower yourself. Rinse and repeat, and reap the benefits.

Granted, this might just be the basics of the basic, but even he knew that the simplest of things can grow intricated and complex with time, and he has no doubt that this Persona business will essentially be the same thing. Nah, who was he kidding? It's going to be _too_ complicated that he'll be busy spending days poring over notes on the stuff instead of doing other important things.

Welp, if it means he gets access to a kickass power that's stylish just as much as it'll help free everyone from this game, then he's not complaining.

"There are quite a few, yes. Very well, let us begin," so saying, she takes her place at the centre of the clearing with him, all eyes on her. "Now, it goes without saying that Persona's are incredibly powerful. Understand that, upon drawing out your 'Regalia', you are immediately granted boosts in terms of physical and mental prowess. Said strength actually comes from your Persona, as the 'Regalia' helps to regulate their power into your body."

That's true. For some reason, he felt stronger, faster even. So he's actually getting all these boosts from Arsene? Nice.

"Considering that we are in a videogame setting, it is right to say that summoning your 'Regalia' is akin to equipping an accessory that will increase your stats, such as your strength, speed and defense," continued the ravenette. "You needn't worry about summoning your Persona, however. You already gain boosts just from having your 'Regalia' equipped."

"So he's already getting passive boosts just from having his 'Regalia' summoned? Jeez, talk about overpowered," the information broker, hardcore gamer as she is, shuddered at the thought. He agreed with her a hundred percent.

"Indeed. In your case, you are extremely lucky that your 'Regalia' is a sword," everyone perked up at that, awaiting further explanation. Explanation… which didn't come until Kirito had to ask her. After two minutes of silence. "Ah, a 'Regalia' is the materialization of one's soul. As I've said, you must be a fighter at heart, so it comes to reason that your 'Regalia' takes shape as a sword."

No kidding. This sword basically outrivals just about any other weapon that he could think of. Even his Annealed Blade couldn't even _hope_ to reach a fraction of it's—Wait a minute.

'Regalia', a materialization of someone's soul…

"Hey, Vabel, you told me that there used to be other Persona users, right?" Bringing up something so random like that wasn't exactly his plan, but something came to mind. Something quite interesting.

There was no reason to hide that. Not like it's anything world-changing. "Yes, I did say that."

"Then… considering how _I_ got a Persona," because it sounds like a poor joke for someone like him to receive a Persona, yet succeeding all the same. "Is it possible that others might show up?"

"Hmm… Perhaps," a vague answer. Curious. Verily so. "Now then, onto the next part. Persona's," ooh, the fun part! "The shadows within the depths of your soul, it's safe to assume that they are the true demons within. A part of you that's shackled away from others. They, too, can be utilized in a fight, just as you have displayed during the boss battle."

"Yeah, I remembered," nodding, he only needs to think of shattering his 'Regalia'—he never brought it up before, but he could _sense_ what its name was… Elucidator, it's called—before Arsene is summoned from a burst of blue flames. The gentleman thief looks amused, if anything else. "Arsene, remember the spell you used in that battle? I'm going out on a limb and assuming that you're naturally skilled with dark magic."

"**Are you referring to «Curse» magic?"** The demon asked, getting a tilt of the head. **"What you refer to dark magic is termed as «Curse» magic. And if so, then yes."**

"«Curse»? Ooh, I like that," why the hell is this Persona stuff so cool? Even the element names are amazing. He puts on a thoughtful look afterwards, humming. "Still… We _are_ in a videogame, otherworldly powers aside. There must be some sort of ammunition or mana necessary for casting your spells, right? So this pink health bar must be related, yeah?"

"Pink health bar?" Asuna blinked, looking to the corner of her vision before staring back at with him a confused look. "What do you mean, Kirito-kun? There isn't a pink bar there."

"What? But it's right there. I have it. Got it ever since Arsene showed up."

"Allow me to take a look."

Below his green health bar, there was a pink one. And it's been there ever since he awakened Arsene, and he wasn't sure what it is.

The girl approaches him and glances at the pink bar, and nods to herself. "I see. Seeing how no one else possesses this bar, and you seem to have this upon awakening your Persona, this might be your mana bar, so to speak. Or perhaps SP, like HP. You will need this to cast spells."

Odd… Persona's aren't a part of this game, and yet… weird. Super weird.

So what? This power somehow integrated itself into this game for its wielders' benefit? Talk about overkill. And quite frankly terrifying.

"In truth, there are two separate powers that a Persona is capable of using, but we shall begin with the magic side of things," there's a small pause, time taken to think, before she resumes. "They are varied, incredibly so, granting you a major advantage in the fight and off it."

"Makes sense… I suppose. So what type of spells are there?" Asked Asuna after a while.

The ravenette pauses for a while before answering. "To simplify everything, magic is split into four kinds, which are offense, ailment, support and heal spells. Offensive magic simply to damage the enemy, while ailment spells include your typical sleep or confuse spells. Support magic that either buffs or debuffs a target, so you could include saboteur magic in there. And finally, healing spells, which is self-explanatory."

The three players (well, only two of them are genuine gamers, while one had only her first experience through this one) all stared at their teammate, letting the overflow of information sink in.

Hah! As if that was so much! That was still just the start to things!

"T-That's a lot…"

"Jeez, that makes Persona's way too overpowered in this game…"

He could agree with Argo on that sentiment so much. The potential is just limitless.

Too injured that a potion can't help? Instantly heal themselves with some magic. Need an extra boost to your strength? Enhancement magic is at the ready. Way too many monsters? Just make them fall asleep.

Kirito gulped at the prospect of magic in this otherwise medieval, magic-_less_ world. It was a huge advantage that was frankly too much to give up on. Plus, it wasn't like they could afford to _not_ use it. Their lives are at risk here, for crying out loud!

Silently thanking Igor, for whatever reason he saw fit to bestow such power to _him_ of all people (again, why him?), he looks back to Vabel, seeing her emotionless look. "Umm… second power? You mentioned that earlier."

"Ah, I did mention that, yes," Argo didn't look pleased, but all of them knew at this point that the girl was capable of everything _but_ sarcasm. She was honest at every moment. "Personae are capable of using magic, but there is another trick that you may use," she makes a gesture at the top left of her vision, indicating that she was telling them to look at their health bar. "In exchange for sacrificing some of your health, you are able to augment their strength and unleash stronger physical attacks."

'Physical skills, huh? Almost like how «Sword Skills» work, minus the health part,' he shuddered yet again. Unable to cast magic? Sacrifice some health to deal brutal damage. They really thought it all.

That's… really interesting. He's never heard of a videogame that forces the player to use their character's health in such a creative way. Perhaps not exactly creative, but incredibly useful.

Great. Now if only this came with some sort of menu that let him see what his Persona's skills are. Unfortunately, he looked through his menu already and found absolutely nothing, so his hopes of that were dashed right off the bat.

Oh well. Not like everything can be given to you on a silver plate.

"Uh-oh, tat's the look of someone's who's _really_ in the mood. All so serious and deep in thoughts," Argo's snickering is what finally snapped the boy out of his head. "What a fine power ya' got there, Kii-bou. Guess that makes you the best player there is, huh?"

"Nngh… While I'd _looove_ to give myself that title, I still feel like it has its own inconvenience," the looks of surprise he draws from the three girls is matched with his own concentrated look. "Think about it. My 'Regalia' is a sword. Elucidator is a really strong weapon in its own right, and I _do_ use it to fight. _But_, while having Arsene summoned is good and all, considering how powerful he is," he was too focused with his thoughts to hear the words of gratitude the gentleman thief spoke to him. "It leaves me unarmed. That's not good…"

"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense," leave it to him to figure it all out, huh?

That was just the problem, isn't it? Having no weapon to use in battle, even if he technically has a powerful demon by his side to fight and protect him, is a terrible idea. He'd be leaving himself wide open to attack, and overly relying on Arsene would make him too lax. Careless.

In this game that's so determined to kill its players, the smallest amount of carelessness is bound to screw them over, no matter how paranoid he might sound. That's just lesson one in everything; _never_ underestimate a game. In this case, he's overpowered and defenceless at the same time.

Sure, boosted stats, but there must be a way to—

"Oh!" He snapped his fingers. "I've got it! An idea!"

"That was fast," quipped Asuna.

"No kidding," Argo agreed.

He was already tuning them out, however, having pulled out his menu and doing some configuration. The girls looked to one another before looking to Arsene, who simply chuckled in amusement. **"You will see."**

Of course, it didn't take too long, considering how well-versed he is with the intricacies of the game's system. When the boy was done, he nodded to himself and closed it right after, only to then flick his left hand. An odd gesture out of the blue, until his reinforced Annealed Blade materialized in his grip.

"Oooh, hotkey," Argo was quick to point out, a smirk on her face. "Heh. Not bad."

"Well, it _is_ a nifty feature, and anyone would be dumb not to use it. It makes getting items _so_ much easier," he hadn't seen any other players make use of this hotkey system, considering how not many of them knew how it functioned to begin with. But once you understood the basic concept of it and learnt how to manipulate it, things become incredibly easy.

10 slots in total, able to house an assortment of items and actions. Well, it didn't free up his inventory, but it made getting them a lot more easier; after all, all it needed was some small action instead of having to navigate his menu.

Makes it easier in battles, for sure.

"**Clever indeed. I can see why your peers seem to trust you quite a lot in this world,"** a deep chuckle permeates from his being, genuinely impressed. **"It will be interesting to watch you from here on out."**

"Then you'd better keep a close eye. I might just do something so unnatural even _you'll_ be taken aback," he shot back with a friendly yet challenging tone, and the demon simply laughed in return. "Now I know what to do, just in case. A spare sword to fight in the case that I summon Arsene. So, I suppose that's the basics with this Persona stuff?"

"Indeed, that is all that you should know for now. You will get the hang of it through practice and experience," her words are reaffirming, and he nods his understanding.

"Got it. I guess I'll just have to settle for learning these things through hard work," what better way than that, right? "Thanks, Arsene. See you soon."

He wills the demon away into the depths of his heart, and Elucidator returns to his hand. He sheathes it at his back, feeling quite content.

"Well, I suppose that's enough of a study sesh for a day. Anymore and I think Aa-chan's brain will explode."

"Wha—Hey! I was catching on quite well!"

Screw that, if anyone's brains was going to do the exploding, it might as well be his, considering how he's the one with the Persona. And that better not happen any time soon! He doesn't want an early death just yet!

Vabel's mirth shows on her face for a mere second before it turns into a simple smile. "Now then, considering that we've already exhausted this topic, or I feel like we've exhausted _some_ of it, what is our next plan of action?"

All the girls turn to look at him. He _is_ their leader, after all, no matter how strange it seemed—for him, anyways.

"Ehh… I guess we should go get something to eat," he shrugged weakly, not sure what else there was to do. "Maybe strengthen Annealed Blade?"

"_Again_? Jesus, Kii-bou, that thing is crazy strong. Strongest sword for these current floors, Elucidator notwithstanding," she rolled her eyes, and he must be the weird one because he could literally _feel_ the eye roll. "Plus, are there even any good blacksmiths on these floors? Pretty sure all that there is are just the NPC's."

He made to open his mouth, only to be interrupted by Asuna. "Oh, I know someone who can help!"

"_You do_?" Chorused the two Beta Testers at the same time, receiving a happy nod from the girl.

"Yup! It's a friend I made. Well, she's only starting last I saw her, but she really wants to be a good blacksmith. I'm sure she can help with your sword," she sounded confident, if the look on her face didn't indicate that enough. "Plus, it'll be good practice for her, so I'd like it if you could come with me to go see her."

"Err…" The boy shared a look with his fellow tester before shrugging back at his friend. "Sure? What's to lose, am I right?"

* * *

5th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

The town's bustling again. Not exactly strange, but it makes navigating the streets a little harder, considering how there are just so many people here.

Then again, it probably has to do with the fact that _everyone_ is looking at him as if he was a celebrity… Oh crap, he technically is one, isn't he? Well, that's a bummer.

'I guess it's a _really_ big deal. I'd be shocked if it were some else too,' he reasoned with himself, no matter how annoying it felt. Privacy looks even more pleasing than it ever has before now. "How far do we need to go?"

"Just on the other side of the town," muttered Asuna, apologizing as she lightly pushed someone out of her way, only to then shoot him an annoyed look. What? It's not his fault! "Could you perhaps do something about this?"

"What am I supposed to do? Ask everyone to move out of my way or I'll cut them down with my sword?" It was meant to be a joke, but everyone that were blocking the road immediately pushed themselves to the side to make space, all of them wearing looks of terror. "Wha—I was just _kidding_!"

"Nyahaha! Looks like you'll need to do better than that if you don't wanna' scare off all the players!" Chortled his friend, punching him in the shoulder once as she moved on ahead.

Kirito blinked, looked around him, and sagged. "I was just kidding…"

The rest of the trip isn't exactly eventful, though the murmurs and whisperings had no doubt been there from the get-go. All about that 'mysterious swordsman' with the 'strange power'. Most of them were harmless, but for every good in the world, there was bound to be a bit of negativity, and he could spot a few sneers or looks of displeasure amongst the crowd.

Perhaps followers of Kibaou's, wherever the hell he is. No sign of Diavel too, something that he worried about because if he wasn't there to lead these players, that meant _Kibaou_ would have to do that. No way in hell someone like him should be leading.

Then again, it's not like _he's_ going to lead either, so oh well.

"Liz!" The boy finally looked up from his feet, spotting his rapier-wielding friend rush over to the front of a counter. A vendor stall like any other, though with a nicer canvas roof, and an assortment of tools necessary for a blacksmith. "Liz, are you there?"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you. I'm right _here_, you know," there's a snort, followed by a happier hum as whomever it was finally moved to the front, a beaming smile on her face.

'A girl?' Now that's a surprise. He would have never thought that a _girl_ would even think of being a blacksmith. That's, like, a pretty boring job compared to everything else, so props to her for wanting to be a blacksmith in this game.

Pink hair, pink eyes. Those are probably dyed, right? Her outfit is just typical, nothing too special, but he could tell from a distance that she must be pretty good or, at the very least, better than the NPC blacksmiths. Maybe she's already upgraded it enough.

"So you're back, Asuna. How're things?" The blacksmith asked as she leaned against the counter.

"Pretty good. Oh, I should introduce you to my friends!" She gestured to each member of her party as she spoke their names. "This is Vabel-chan, and Argo, and this is—"

"Kirito," he raised his hand to make a little wave, his smile dropping slowly as he watched the girl's expression turn into that of shock. "Umm… is everything okay?"

"Wait a minute… That face, that sword… You're the swordsman!" Gasping, she pointed a finger at her. "T-The one with that crazy power!"

"Uhh, yeah. Damn it, how the hell do news travel so fast that everyone—Oh yeah," he turned a deadpanning look towards Argo, who suddenly found the ground way more interesting than everything else. "Argooo…"

"What? It wasn't me! The news just spread on their own! Can't blame little ol' me for everything that happens," scoffed the girl as she crossed her arms, the little bead of sweat on her brow betraying her words right off the bat. "A-Anyways! Aa-chan, this is..?"

"Oh, right! Everyone, this is a friend I made on the first day, Lisbeth. I just call her Liz because she asked me to," the girl introduced. "She's working to become a blacksmith right now, and I trust her skills."

"Haven't exactly gotten a lot of requests, but I make do," shrugged the girl, giving the sole boy a sidelong glance before quickly looking back to Asuna. "Anyways, what'cha need? Since this is your first time, I'll be more than happy to make your first forging a free one!"

"Oh, that's nice of you! But really, Kirito-kun here is the one that needs an enhancement," so saying, the boy walked up to the counter. "It's for his sword."

"I've already gotten it enhanced a few times before, but it won't hurt to make it stronger," he says with a shrug, unsheathing his blade and settling it on the counter. "Think you can help?"

"Think? Hah! I'm pretty sure I've got what it takes," snickering, she taps on the sword's surface to inspect it, eyes going a little wide. "Whoa, you weren't kidding. Well, I can definitely enhance it. What're you looking for?"

"Durability," he answers, looking to the rest of the team. "How about all of you? We've someone to help enhance our weapons, plus the offer she made. Let's make do with her services for now. That is, if you don't mind."

She waves off his concern with a cheeky grin. "Don't worry about it, it's fine! I don't plan to go back on my word! Now come on, just put your weapons on the table! Leave the heavy work to me!"

Asuna leaves her weapon on the table while Argo chooses her claws. Vabel doesn't opt to have her weapon enhanced, for reasons she didn't entirely explain, but are good as any—considering the person that they're talking about, that should be good enough.

It doesn't take too long, considering how easy everything is in this game. Just like cooking, the enhancement procedure has been incredibly simplified, allowing Lisbeth to work on their weapons in a matter of minutes. Even then, he could tell that it took some effort on her part, considering the sweat on her brow.

"Alright, here you go!" She returned the weapons to their wielders, a proud smile on her face. "How's it?"

"It's great," hummed the boy, glad that his Annealed Blade didn't break. "Thanks. You don't mind if we come here the next time we need a weapon forged or whatever?"

"Sure thing! Not like there's anything else I _can_ do other than that," there was a small shift in her tone then, turning from casual to interested as she tilted her head at him. "By the way… is it true? You're the wielder of that crazy power?"

"Persona, and yes, I am," not exactly something he was planning to hide from the world, and certainly wouldn't hurt to talk about it with another person outside of his circle of friends. "You want a look?"

"Eh?" That was enough to break her calm, pink eyes blinking in surprise. "You don't mind?"

"His power doesn't exactly have some heavy criteria to use. He can just activate it at any time," Argo explained, giving a nod to her friend. "Go on."

Shrugging, he pulls on the power and lets his body get swallowed up by blue fire. His coat once more on him, his sword sheathed on his back, he grabbed his weapon and placed it on the counter.

"Take a look at it," he says, and the shellshocked girl hastily obeyed his order, tapping on its surface.

There's a small pause before her teeth grit together. "What the hell..? This weapon is so strong, I can't even inspect it just yet… In fact, I can tell that it's even better than any other weapons I've _ever_ seen," she looked up to him, frowning. "Then why would you need such a weaker sword like that one?"

"Because of this," he takes back his sword and shatters it, summoning Arsene.

"Waah!"

"**Greetings, milady."**

Kirito rolls his eyes at his Persona, then turns back to look at Liz, who was busy staring up at the ridiculously tall demon. "In case you didn't see, the moment I summon my Person, I'm immediately weapon-less. That's just how it is. So I'll use my Annealed Blade as a backup."

"That's… reasonable," she muttered, looking to the rest of the group. "And the rest of you?"

"None of us are capable of summoning Personae," shook her head the other ravenette.

"So far, only Kii-bou's got the kickass power, so leave it to him to be smart with managing things," added Argo with a shrug.

All of them are surprisingly calm. Fair enough, considering that they're going to see him in action even more in the future.

The pink-haired girl looked up at… Arsene, was it? And gulped.

Seriously, she could _feel_ its power from here…

"Anyways, since we're done with what we came here for, best we get moving on. No use wasting your time even further," humming, he wills Arsene back into Elucidator, sheathing both black swords. "Thanks again for the help, Lisbeth. We'll be sure to—Gah..!"

A sudden jolt in his head, like a lance piercing through his body. A pain far less from the hellish torment that came with awakening Arsene, but it still deserves enough attention that he finds himself gripping his head with one hand.

"Kirito-kun!" Asuna was by his side in a flash, her look of worry genuine. Vabel and Argo didn't waste any time either, Lisbeth at her stall looking on in confusion. "Are you alright?"

"H-Headache…" He mutters out, screwing one eye shut. "What the hell..? I can feel… _something_… Hh! Up there!"

His head snapped upwards, gritted teeth and wide eyes prompting everyone to look up as well…

The five players, along with every other man, woman and child trapped within this fake reality, bore witness to the sky, now filled with countless red 'ERROR's.

* * *

Everything was wrong. Everything was not making sense right now, and Kirito could say that without needing to hold himself back, not when basically everyone else agreed with the sentiment. Well, they would if they weren't so damned busy staring up at the sky.

The last time this happened, it had been during the first day of the game, when Kayaba decided to show up as some cloaked being (he refused to think of him as his own creation's god, no matter how true it was) and reveal the true nature of this game to everyone.

The group of four, plus Lisbeth, had immediately rushed to the plaza, a dreaded feeling building up in his gut. The moment this happened, he got a headache, which shouldn't be possible. Shouldn't, unless something really, _really_ bad was happening.

And he had a feeling Kayaba wasn't the one behind it this time.

So many players took their attention away from the sky to look at him, but were quick to stare back at the sky, awaiting whatever was going to come next.

"Kirito!" The boy perked up, spotting wild maroon hair.

"Klein," he sighed, a little relieved at seeing his friend. "You doing alright?"

"That's my line! Considering your sudden popularity and all, I'm surprised that _you're_ doing alright," snickered the young man before staring back, his expression turning grim. "Hey, you don't think..?"

"I don't know," and didn't that infuriate him? The logic was there, Kayaba probably wanted to say something to them, and yet… "I've got a really bad feeling about this… Guess we'll just have to wait and see."

The plaza filled up with even more people soon after, all standing around like idiots as they waited for whatever it was that Kayaba had to address them about. He wasn't betting on this being a normal thing, however, hence keeping his 'Regalia' present.

Call it a gut feeling, but things aren't about to be so simple.

It was somewhere around fifteen minutes that the sky brightened by a fraction, drawing even more attention from the onlookers. The chatter and conversation eventually died down, replaced with whispers and frightened hushes as they watched.

From between the cracks, blood seeped out and fell by gravity, only to then begin the formation of a cloaked being.

And the bad feeling from it was kicked into maximum.

"**Players…"** The voice of Kayaba Akihiko. The man who crafted this very world, now looking down on them like ants. It was more than enough to make most angry, Kirito included. **"I have watched your progress over these few weeks and, to be frank, I'm quite impressed with what I've seen. You've managed to defeat the first floor boss together, and with no deaths… For that, I congratulate you."**

If it wasn't Klein who was gritting his teeth hard enough that he could hear it, it was probably himself.

Lives were already lost before they found the boss room, and now he sought to _congratulate_ them over one measly win? It was frustrating. He was underestimating them.

"**But as a game developer, I am severely disappointed to know that you have relied on a cheater, rather than your own skills,"** his voice brought forth a slew of gasps from the players, all of whom had erupted into chatter. **"After all, what use is a victory if achieved through unfair means?"**

"Kirito…" He didn't know when Vabel had suddenly arrived at his side, nor when she was suddenly gripping his arm, but she must have known that he had tensed.

A cheater… That's not what he is. Too powerful, perhaps, but for a right cause with the right reasons. They're _dying_, and if he doesn't rely on this power, then they're good as dead.

"**You know of whom I speak of. After all, he stands among you right now,"** and then, all gazes turned towards one person in particular. **"Come forth. Allow me to see the face of the one who intends to cheat in my game."**

There wasn't any subtlety to it. _Cheater_. _His_ game.

Once upon a time, a young Kazuto Kirigaya would have never allowed himself to get riled up by such weak provocation. He might have just tuned them out or walk away, knowing a fight he couldn't win or just couldn't be bothered with.

After meeting so many people, fighting alongside them, only to know that their efforts meant _nothing_ to him, despite the fact that they were in a game so keen on killing them? That they just want to go home to the life before all of this?

You could call him so many things in that moment. But _pissed_ did him the justice he deserved.

"Yeah, I cheated. But that doesn't mean anything to you, does it?" He yelled back, stepping forwards as the players parted. "You don't care if I even cheat! All you want to see is us struggle! Dying! If you even cared, you'd have me killed before I took down Illfang, but you didn't! Here I am, Kayaba! You wanted to see your so-called 'cheater', and he's standing before you now!"

He couldn't afford to be afraid. Not when countless other players needed any form of beacon of hope. He wasn't planning on becoming that sort of beacon, but life just doesn't go the way you want it, does it?

"If using this power that I've been bestowed with lets me beat you and this accursed game, then don't expect me to hold back," the metal of his sword rung as Elucidator is drawn from its sheath, pointed straight at the cloaked being. "We'll fight you, and beat you, and get out of this game! No matter how long it takes!"

That's all that mattered in the end, did it not? The results speak for themselves, no matter how long it would take to get there.

Time was of the essence, yet it also was not. They were going to be trapped here in this world for years, no other way to it. He wasn't blind to that fact. He had torn away the cloth blinding him from the first day, and knew that there was no other way out but to fight and win this man's game.

No matter how dirty their tricks might get.

The silence is deafening, incredibly so. And yet, he stood firm, a silent reminder that his words weren't just for show. He _would_ indeed fight this man no matter how difficult it would be, and he would fight alongside them. It's a silent rally against one shared enemy, and he couldn't let himself be seen as weak.

Not when the hopes of thousands rest on his shoulders.

"**Hmph… Hmmhmm… Hahahaha!"** Kayaba erupted into an uncharacteristic laughter after that silent pause, drawing a scowl from the young player. **"I see, I see… Very well. I understand. However, understand that I can, at any rate, rig the game against you. Will you be prepared for such?"**

"Hah, as if the game isn't already rigged against us from the start," scoffing, he swings his sword to his side. "Illfang with a change of equipment was telling enough. This game is no longer the same as it used to be, and we'd be fools not to see that. We'll adapt, and win all the same."

"**I see… If so, you can certainly back up your words with action, yes?"**

"…Huh?"

There wasn't even a sense of fanfare to it. No indication or sign that he had just flipped the danger switch, other than how Kayaba had suddenly raised both arms into the air. Despite having a blanket of shadows for a face, he could imagine the smirk he had.

What came next was wholly unexpected.

From the sky, electricity began to crickle and crackle, snapping across his body like rampant serpents. Building up energy, growing stronger, brighter and more vicious.

It was only when Kayaba had his arms pointed to the ground—"Oh shit! Everyone, get away!" That it was too late.

A brief flash of light before lightning struck the plaza, sending a few players flying away, saved only by the fact that the Town of Beginnings was a safe zone.

Even that changed a second later.

From the lightning, two distinctly large forms took shape, revealing themselves to be bipedal bulls.

Beta Testers across the plaza, Kirito and Argo included, stared gobsmacked, not needing to even look as their names popped up above their heads. Not when they had faced off against the two monsters in the past.

Nato the Colonel Taurus, and Baran the General Taurus.

The mid-boss and floor boss of Floor 2.

"**Player Kirito, wielder of Persona,"** the boy's eyes shot back towards the cloaked being, whose arms were outstretched to his side. **"Prove to me this conviction of yours. Show me the extent of which you would go to save everyone. I will watch you from now, after all, so it would behove you to do your best. Fail to do so, and what awaits you is death."**

His words spoken, his body shattered away.

The safe zone, rescinded of its status, turned into a warzone.

* * *

Everything went wrong in just the snap of the fingers. Kirito wasn't even sure if he had the time to curse at Kayaba if he already had to deal with these monsters.

"Damn it..! Arsene!" Elucidator broke away to reveal Arsene in his glory. "Take em out'! Everyone else, get out of here!"

A burst of dark energy manages to trip Nato, knocking it to the ground. Something that Argo and Vabel were quick to take advantage of as they built up their combo and nick away at its incredibly large pool of health before it raises his hammer and attempts to knock them back, the girls quick to backpedal.

A clash of steel, followed by Baran getting knocked back. In the distance, Klein and his teammates are busy handling the other bull monster. And knowing them and their great ability to synchronize, he trusted them to know that they'll get the job done.

"Why the hell are there _two_ bosses?!" Shouted Argo as she hastily backs away from a deadly blow, her own disbelief something that Kirito share. "This doesn't make sense!"

"Kayaba, damn him!" Cursing, he wills Arsene into existence before unleashing a direct slash towards Nato's skull, causing it to tumble backwards. Vabel chooses that moment to go in for a fast «Quadruple Pain», striking the downed monster four times in its midriff. "Well, not like things could possibly get worse than this!"

Nato the Colonel Taurus, and Baran the General Taurus. Two gigantic Taurus's who are heavy hitters in their own rights which possessed the ability to stun players.

"Do _not_ jinx us, Kirito!"

"I know that things _will_ get worse, alright?! Oh crap!"

He hastily unleashed a «Horizontal» to cancel out Nato's incoming attack, knocking it back into a stagger, granting him an opportunity to unleash a «Curse» spell against the monster, which worked wonders.

A lot of players have already fled the area, giving them this entire space to fight. It was an even greater miracle that no one had died from the sudden entrance of these monsters. There was the teleport gate in the centre of the plaza, of course, but that was hardly something to worry about. Right now, all that mattered was cutting down the boss monster.

"Kirito-kun!" A shout from the distance turned into a whistle as her rapier sailed across the air, her «Linear» cutting right across Nato's chest. "I managed to call for some help! We just need to hold them off for a bit!"

"Works for me!" Grunting, he weld Elucidator in his left hand, Annealed Blade in his right. A stupid thing to do, considering how there's no such thing as dual-wielding in this game (or is there?), but it was better than nothing at this rate. "Get ready, everyone! We're taking these two down, no matter what!"

Nato released a growl, followed quick with his hammer striking into the ground, producing sparks that shot out on a five-feet radius. The players pulled away to avoid the electricity, Kirito summoning Arsene and, sacrificing a bit of his health, executing a powerful slash at the boss, knocking it back.

He gave it no time, immediately charging in with a «Sonic Leap», cutting across its body with Elucidator. Thanks to its impressive strength and his own boosted stats, the damage done far exceeded anyone else's damage output.

The bull finally managed to claim some distance by slamming its hammer into the ground, its ability «Numbing Impact» causing sparks to build up on the ground.

The boy was fortunate enough to have evaded the attack, the girls the same. In the distance, Klein proved his mettle in his ability to match Nato's strength with his own ingenuity and skill, his teammates providing every bit of assistance that they could.

They definitely have the chance to win this fight.

Gritting his teeth with renewed vigour, Kirito charges forwards with a «Rage Spike», stabbing Elucidator into the back of the beast before kicking off the monster, watching in his somersault as Argo unleashed a combo against the monster while Asuna and Vabel tag-teamed against the monster.

The moment he landed, he shatters his 'Regalia' through willpower alone and commands Arsene to clash against Nato—all the damage he's done to him was more than enough to draw all aggro onto himself, prompting it to run towards him. Hammer against claws, it turned into a stalemate as the two powerhouses pushed against one another.

Unfortunately for the boss monster, Arsene shared in his wielder's spirit; the stubbornness to win.

"**Hmph. How foolish!"** Shouting so, the demon ignited his claws and sent Nato staggering backwards, dealing a cross hit against its head; its unprotected body part that certainly is its weak point, which was more than enough to cause it to stagger backwards. **"Hero!"**

"Yeah, I hear you!" He rushes forwards and, with Annealed Blade in his hand, wills power into his blade. Red light wraps around it as his body moves in the appropriate motion, Arsene moving in to add to the combo. "«Sharp Nail»!"

One diagonal hit, one horizontal cut, and a final one that comes down from overhead. The last hit, accompanied by one augmented slash from Arsene, sends the last remaining HP Nato possessed to nil, causing it to explode into pixels.

He lets out a breath before directing his attention towards Baran next, which was definitely the harder obstacle out of the two. Argo and Asuna, and a large number of players, had already charged in to assist the samurai, a tank team going in to take some hits while the assaulters and support backed away to heal up.

Baran lets out a tremendous roar as it starts swinging its weapon aimlessly, some players getting hit and knocked away while the sparks flying off of its weapon meet their mark and stun a few players, while the unlucky few were paralyzed.

"Keep up the momentum! Shield teams, keep drawing aggro onto yourselves! Assault teams, be ready to attack!" Commanded… the hell? Diavel? "Kirito!"

"Wha—Huh? Ah, yeah!" Well, that is most certainly _not _Diavel. What the hell? Why is there a Diavel-lookalike here?! "Yeah, I hear you!"

He kicked off the ground almost immediately, Vabel by his side as the two shot forwards like missiles, one unleashing a swift «Rage Spike» to the chest and the other activating a «Linear» that sliced across Baran's thigh—the double hits were enough to stun it long enough, almost toppling it even.

"Now!"

"_Hrrhaaa_!"

Assault teams comprised of the strongest fighters in their ranks rush in on cue, unleashing the strongest «Sword Skills» that they had at their disposal, and Kirito chooses to quickly assess their enemy. Out of all its five health bars, they still had three health bars to deal with.

Once it gets to two, they'll be in big trouble.

"Everyone, watch out! The moment it drops to its second health bar, it'll enter a rage state!" He shouted, readying his swords once more. "Girls, with me!"

A rinse-and-repeat strategy of wearing its health down, all while dodging its slow yet fatal swings of its hammer. Kirito lead the charge, switching between the use of Elucidator and Arsene's power to knock its health down rapidly fast. The other players switched every now and then, taking turns to land the hits and assist him.

Some moved to the back to heal up before returning to the fray, tank teams constantly pressured to move in to intercept Baran's heavy attacks. The few stuns he could manage just weren't enough, as he was heavily outnumbered.

It's health dropped to the second bar soon enough. And that was bad.

"Careful! Looks like Baran's entered its raging state!" Warned Argo, wielding her claws.

Lind scoffed before raising an arm, raising his voice to command the players. "Tank team, be ready to defend once more! Kirito, stun him again! Assault teams, on my mark!"

"Asuna, Argo!" The black-haired boy shouted, getting their attention. "I'll stun Baran! You two chain as much damage as you can in that small window of time! Vabel, aggro it for now!"

"Of course!"

"You got it, Kii-bou!"

"As you say."

Vabel makes use of «Taunting», a relatively simple skill in-game that can be activated by pointing at a targeted monster and shouting. This doesn't work in a PvP scenario, but against monsters like right now, it worked like a charm.

«Taunting» was technically the best way to just draw aggro onto themselves, and just like that, the enraged Baran had its sights settled on Vabel, who began running towards it—she technically just pointed at the monster and narrowed her eyes, but he supposed that would work. With a wild snarl, the gigantic monster rushed in her direction as well, concrete rattling beneath its heavy steps with hammer, glowing with electricity.

"Okay!"

"Tank teams, now!"

All on her lonesome, it was technically a suicidal attempt, but she was smart enough to simply slip between its legs, deftly avoiding the hammer, which had been slammed right into the ground, sparks flying everywhere. However, just as she predicted, Baran was quick to turn on its heels and attempted a second hit, one that would have hit her had the tanks not intercepted in that moment, slamming their shields back towards its gigantic hammer, causing it to stagger backwards.

It didn't do as much as striking it directly in the head, obviously, but that small chance was all that Kirito needed.

"Here I go!" Breaking off into another sprint yet again, he unleashes the power of the Persona. "Take it down!"

Flames erupted from Arsene's claws as he swung them down against Baran's exposed crown, the deafening blow in his attack all but sending it tumbling backwards.

Extremely high attack. Critical hit. Weak point. Its second health bar plummeted down to its red region.

"Here we go! Aa-chan!"

"I'm with you!"

"Assault teams, _go_!"

Asuna lets loose a battle cry as she unleashes a «Quadruple Pain» while Argo abuses the high-combo of her claw weapons. The assault teams charge in at that time, and all damage pooled together causes its second health bar to be depleted immediately, now left with its final health bar, which is already down to just eighty percent.

Baran gets up quickly and swings itself around, catching several players off-guard by its cackling weapon. Vabel spots an exposed thigh and swoops in for a fast blow before avoiding a fatal attack.

The sound of something shattering catches Baran's attention, but it hadn't enough time to do anything before it gets slashed in the face once more.

"Man, this battle is taking way too long!" Scoffing, he goes in for the kill, Elucidator shining a soft blue. Baran recovers from its momentary daze and readies its hammer, sparks flying. "Take this!"

The Hero swings his sword in the motion of a «Horizontal», his black blade intercepting the hammer and knocking it backwards, cancelling the attack. Arsene spawns and executes a strengthened slash against Baran, reducing Kirito's health in the process.

"Kirito-kun!" Staring over to where she was coming from, Asuna activates an «Aero Penetrator» that sends her into the air, thrusting her rapier into Baran's midriff before she strikes back down, initiating a «Linear» that sends her quickly out of the way of its attack. "You alright?!"

"I'm good!" Nodding back, he looked over to his health bar, seeing that it was still good. "Just a little more!"

Nodding back, the girl returns to the fight with renewed vigour. Even Argo and Vabel had dived back into the fight, all prepared to win this fight.

The remainder of the fight goes as well as anyone could hope it did, though more players had to swap out to heal themselves and whatnot. In at least half an hour, the final blow that Kibaou dealt to Baran with his mace ends its life just like that.

That should have been it. Yet the fact that there wasn't a large 'CONGRATULATIONS' that popped up in the air was a tell-tale sign of something even worse to come.

And his suspicions came true in the end.

God damn it.

"A-Another boss..?!"

"You've got to be shitting me!"

Yeah, that second guy was right. Kayaba has seriously lost his mind, the dastard.

Asterius the Taurus King makes his appearance without any fanfare. It simple materialized out of polygons and colours, yet its massive stature was a clear sign that they were going up against the true boss of this floor. Chainmail around its waist, six horns and a crown on its head and a hammer that just dwarfed Baran's own weapon, the sunlight blocked by its massive form.

The _true_ boss of the second floor, with six health bars in total. Here, on the first floor instead.

However, he didn't have time to conjure any form of cursing towards the maker of this world as Asterius suddenly started sucking in air through its mouth before releasing a blinding electricity breath, which broke all the players' formation and paralyzed more than a good few of them.

"Crap..! You've got to be kidding me! Six health bars, no less! Kayaba really is a sadist!" Everyone was tired, some were probably low on health, and his SP doesn't look so good. "No other way out of this! Everyone else, heal up! Girls, with me!"

Wielding Elucidator once more, with his teammates by his side, the four rush towards the true boss, which had noticed their presence and readied its hammer.

The ravenette wills power into his sword—

"Hrah!" And swings his blade through the motion of «Vertical», a powerful attack striking right at Asterius's hammer that sends it staggering backwards—an opportunity that the girls happily took to deal as much damage as they could.

The boss recovered from its forced delay and swung his hammer, but failed to land the blow, as the boy had already moved out of the way by then.

It was too easy. His 'Regalia' made him so much faster, so much stronger. The girls were quick in their own rights, and they wouldn't need to worry about getting hit.

Keep on their feet, never stop moving, and—

"Duck!"

"Huh? Oh, cra—"

His shout is cut short as he promptly throws himself into a roll, narrowly avoiding the massive hammer that almost connected with his head. "Arsene!"

He is summoned forth from a burst of flames and starts fighting back against Asterius. The sight of Arsene handling Asterius quite fine without his own input proved one thing for him; that a Persona doesn't have to be summoned solely for the use of «Persona Skills.

Annealed Blade in his right hand, he turns to look at the rest of the players. Some were still recovering, but it looks like most of them were ready to get back into the action.

He traded nods with Lind before staring back. "Okay, Arsene! Stay on the battlefield!"

"**With pleasure!"** Came his response, parrying an attack before deftly cutting into its torso with a well-timed swing of his claws, but it doesn't do much to faze it whatsoever. Asterius attempts to strike back but he simply sidesteps its attack.

It didn't take long for the other teams to start charging in, thankfully able to join the fray earlier than he expected. The beast takes hits without a flinch and strikes back as ruthlessly as it could, but Arsene is on point, parrying each of its attacks.

Edge of his sword shining, Kirito rushes forwards and unleashing a firm «Vertical Arc» that cuts into Asterius's leg. The small delay doesn't stop him from avoiding a blunt blow to his head.

"Switch!"

"Right!"

He leaps aside just in time for Asuna to go in with a strong «Aero Penetrator», the movement of said skill thrusting her into the air and allowing her to land a sharp blow on its head, causing Asterius to lose control for a moment and falling onto its knees.

An opening!

"Arsene! Give it a good one!"

"**Will do!"**

Ignition, health reduced—two deft strokes of his claws across Asterius without a shred of mercy, erasing whatever was left of its first health bar.

This is going to take a long time.

"Alright!" Shouted Lind. "Let's take em' down, everybody!"

"_Oohrraaaa!_"

*Ghhraoaa!*

Kirito clicks his tongue as Arsene lunges straight at the enemy, a cross strike with enough force that knocks it back a small distance, right into Asuna's «Quadruple Pain» and several players' axes and spears.

Halfway through its second last health bar, and it hasn't changed its attack patterns just yet. This time, he doesn't hate himself for knowing that it's definitely going to switch things up once it reaches its final health bar; the same happened with the other bosses that they have fought thus far, and the worry that might come out of it is certainly enough to make him wonder just what was it that it might go for.

Switching weapons? No, that's a little unlikely. He didn't see it having any other weapons on its person.

Wilder attacks? For sure. It might just start spamming «Numbing Detonation», and by God is that going to be a huge pain.

Asterius promptly stomps on the ground three times before releasing a breath of electricity, which spurred some of the players to quickly break formation, getting out of the trajectory of his attack—even the tank teams can't hope to block the attack because the ground would be filled with sparks by then, and they'd run the chance of paralyzing themselves.

It wasn't long later before Asterius makes the foolish move to start charging towards him, a nasty roar being released as it closes the distance between themselves, hammer coursing with electricity and ready to make quick work of its combatant.

But, with a glance to his SP bar, he most certainly had some to burn.

"Arsene! Give it a taste of your shadows!"

"**With pleasure!"**

A cloud of dark energy burst forth from the ground and explodes like a bomb the moment Asterius stepped foot in it, causing its body to cripple in on itself and falling to its knees.

"Everyone, _chaaarge_!"

"_Hrhaaa_!"

He unleashes a brutal «Vertical» with his Annealed Blade that tears right through Asterius's virtual flesh, just in time to build up a combo as the other players and his own Persona all but wreck Asterius with their «Sword Skills».

A blur of black and purple in the corner of his vision draws his gaze from the monster as he backs away, just in time for the boss to get back on its two legs, a tremor caused by its sudden stomping fit and earth-shaking bellows.

"He's entered his berserk stage!" Shouted Vabel.

"Final health!" Yelled Lind. "Come on, a final push, everyone! Group F, G, H! Aggro Asterius! Groups A and E, head back to heal…"

Nothing changes. No matter what anyone says. He looks down to Elucidator in his right hand, and nodded. Nothing will stop them.

Maybe that thought may have changed if he knew that 'Sword Art Online', and countless other virtual worlds—in that moment—had undergone a shift that no sane person could possibly understand, as all worlds have become interwoven with one another, and the fates of countless are tied together with The Hero.

Only time will tell, how this story will come to an end.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

This wasn't meant to be a _very_ long chapter, nor was it supposed to take _foreeever_ to update. Sorry about that, by the way.

I've been watching anime, just recently got into _Persona 5 Royal_ (hella' awesome!), getting even more ideas that it's not even funny anymore, and just enjoying life.

Sorry for the really late update, but this story is one I intend to finish, so don't worry, yeah?

Anyways, thanks for your patience, and hope to see you soon!


	9. Knights and Demons

Chapter VI: **K**ni**g**hts a**n**d D**e**mon**s**

* * *

5th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

"Gah..!"

"We need you back on yer' feet, Aa-chan!"

And as much as she wished she could just stay there, lying down with her face on the pavement, it was a mix of her own pride and her desire to keep on fighting that brought her back into the battle, a frustrated growl slipping past her gritted teeth.

Nothing was making sense. Not since she had made the foolhardy decision to put on the 'Nerve Gear' and experience this virtual world. It was just supposed to be a peek; a temporary escape from the luxuries of her own home. Simply enjoy something that she was certain wouldn't last forever, if her mother had any say in it.

Fast forward a month later, give or take, and she's currently fighting against a powerful boss monster that certainly felt more fitting for higher levels, in what should have been a safe zone alongside her teammate and leader, who was shouting orders and cursing a lot as the demonic gentleman that towered over him clashed with the bipedal bull.

Nothing made absolute sense, and she desperately just wanted to find a bed to bury her face in.

'The battle's almost over,' she tells herself, knowing that no matter how much she wished she could just leave, it would mean leaving everyone here to fight for themselves. And what a cruel thought, that would be. To leave them to their fates like this.

No, this wasn't fate. This was just Kayaba being an—as Kirito so humbly put it—an asshole.

…Her mother would kill her if she hears her cursing, much less _think_.

"Whatever!" Screaming to the air, she shot at the boss, landing a clean slash across its thigh with a «Linear», quickly backpedalling from an imminent overhead slash. "Kirito-kun!"

"Yeah, I hear you!" By his command, Arsene takes health from his user and translates it into strength, a cross strike packing enough force that knocks it back a small distance, right into Asuna's «Quadruple Pain» and several players' axes and spears.

A cloud of dark energy burst forth from the ground and explodes like a bomb a moment later, the repeated damage it's suffering from without a chance for rest causing its body to cripple in on itself and falling to its knees—staggered, momentarily stunned.

"Everyone, _chaaarge_!"

"_Hrhaaa_!"

"Strike em' down!"

"**With pleasure!"**

His Annealed Blade sings a song as he wills power into it, launching himself forwards to unleash a brutal «Vertical» that tears right through Asterius's virtual flesh, just in time to build up a combo as the other players and his own Persona all but wreck Asterius with their «Sword Skills».

A blur of black and purple in the corner of his vision draws his gaze from the monster as he backs away, just in time for the boss to get back on its two legs, a tremor caused by its sudden stomping fit and earth-shaking bellows.

He had entered his rage state a long time ago, but this would be the final push. Just one more, and they'll be sold.

"Hey!" He yelled to the Diavel-lookalike. "I'll try and trip it one more time, so get everyone ready again!"

Asuna knew he wasn't the kind of person to wait for any form of affirmation. Whether it was a good trait or not, his ability to simply keep moving, plan after plan formed and pulled off on the spot made for an interesting and reliable individual. And she'd be lying if she didn't feel safe with his presence.

After all, hundreds of players would be dead if it weren't for him.

"Watch out!" The girl perks up, spotting Asterius suddenly _breathing_ electricity, the bolts striking a few players and paralyzing just a bit. "Arsene!"

A blast of «Curse» magic straight into its jaws was enough to ruin its momentum, Asterius actually roaring in shock before folding forwards—right in its gut, a few large men brutally slammed their shields and maces into its belly.

If this was real life, she expected nothing to survive, much less so the stomach.

"Hrha!" Argo may have downplayed her own worth as a fighter, if only to let others do the heavy work for her, but she certainly had the ferocity of a true Beta Tester. With her claws, she swiped and swiped against the body of Asterius, rapidly adding to the combo. "Kii-bou!"

Arsene had attacked once more, pushing Asterius back. Dear lord, he was powerful. She's just glad that he wasn't a boss that they have to deal with. She wouldn't be sure what to do if he was.

He was on their side. On Kirito's, really, but that technically counted for the players' side in totality, considering that everyone _sort of_ follows him.

She was prepared to move in to fight once more, but ultimately sagged in relief once she caught sight of Asterius's already red health bar. Whatever remained was quickly erased when Kirito and Arsene, both with their own battle cries, unleashed their attacks—Kirito a «Vertical» while Arsene a sideways slash that looked similar to a «Horizontal».

An X-slash, ultimately bisecting the beast until everything—the head and arms—were sent in different directions. What remained of the legs swayed and collapsed against the ground, only to disappear away in a burst of polygons.

The large 'CONGRATULATIONS' that popped up felt satisfying, and just as tiring.

* * *

A boss battle is a test of skill; a deeper insight as to how far one has come in the game. It's a great way to see whether one has managed to grow beyond what they're capable of—or they could lose, and then be forced to try again.

In this world, however? There was no way second tries could be permitted, not with your life on the line.

It made sense that, after such difficult battles, they'd ultimately choose to celebrate their victory with songs and dances and all that dumb stuff. She can understand it, and maybe appreciate it to a certain degree, but preferred solitude.

Solitude with her best friends? That's better.

The moment the battle had been won, Kirito had all but chosen to retreat to their farmhouse, the girls in tow. Kibaou may not have been present during the fight, but he had made a few followers of his own, and there might just be some who would be more than happy to march over to their friend and start blaming him for all the shit happened.

For the shit he _didn't_ start.

It was Kayaba's damned fault! Suddenly made an announcement and dropped three full bosses on them without any moment of preparation. Thankfully, that Lind guy had been able to pull together a reasonable team to fight the monsters, while Kirito had been in the fray, doing what he could to take the monsters on.

The fact that they survived this fight—no, _won_ it, was a miracle in itself, and she wasn't planning to get any lax. Well, _maaaybe_ a little, but just a little!

"All you girls alright?" He sounded tired, and had every right to be. That his arm was shielding his eyes as he laid on his bed was a clear testament to that. Perhaps not physically, but definitely mentally. "Because I'm exhausted."

"I speak for all of us when I say we all are," Aa-chan hardly looked pleased herself, not when she and other players were suddenly fighting in what should have been a safe zone. "Uurgh… That was horrible."

"At least the Town of Beginnings has regained its status as a safe zone," pointed out Vabel, and that was a minor relief. "Although, that does make Kayaba a dangerous opponent all the same. That he's willing to bend the rules, if even a little, just to push us towards our limits says plenty."

"Can't underestimate, and hoping that we can finish this game sooner," groaning, the boy shifted, turning onto his side. "I seriously hope they find the boss room on floor two soon. If there are _still_ going to be bosses in there…"

"I know, Kii-bou. That would be a dick move," scoffed Argo. "Then again, he's still fair. Just unpredictable. After all, if he really wanted to kill us, he could have just let the town stay as a wild zone, and not a safe one. I've got a feeling that he really did take the bosses from the second floor and made us fight them in the town, but that's just hopeful wishing on my part."

"No, I guess you're right… And even if you aren't, I sure hope so," Kirito, for as great of a Beta Tester and suddenly blessed with superpowers as he was, was still a teenager like them. And he was tired. "Because I'm losing my mind."

Funny. All of them are.

Not even an hour later, all of them were asleep in his room.

* * *

6th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

Returning to the town so quickly after a day of battle (admittedly, it had been only a few hours, but it had felt very long. The adrenaline, tension and excitement made it feel that way) wasn't part of the plan, but Kirito had been particularly feisty ever since he woke up, and it wasn't hard to understand why.

What were presumably boss monsters from the second floor showed up here. They were fought, they were killed, and they received the last-hit bonus too (Kirito got it, obviously). And right now, they wanted to find the boss room to see if they could hold on to the hope.

The hope that Kayaba, despite being a sadistic dastard that he is, still has some semblance of just in him to make it so that the bosses were actually considered dead by the system, and that what they fought back there weren't just duplicates.

It would suck, because while it won't be a huge problem (why would it when they have Kirito and his powers?), it would just be more than enough for her to curse at him.

Not like she hadn't been considering it recently.

"No word yet, huh? And you've sent your _acquaintances_ out to search?" When getting a confirmation from his fellow Beta Tester, Kirito opted for a hum instead. "I see… And when were you going to tell me that you _somehow_ managed to make yourself a network of spies?"

"Pssh, not _spies_, Kii-bou. Geez, you make me sound like a fugitive," even with her dismissal, her coy tone downright confirmed it. "And I already had a great team back during the beta test. They just so happened to be in this game as well. Makes it real easy to get some dirt on others, or just find information in general."

A spy network… Sounds terrifying, but as Argo said, she wasn't a criminal. Plus, having a source of information is a pretty good thing, although she had a feeling that their friend might just charge them coin for some info…

Nonetheless, her spies (might as well call them that) had been dispatched to search the second floor for the boss room, alongside others. So far, no progress, but it would only be a matter of time before they found it.

'Maybe we're being too overboard with all of this,' and that thought was promptly killed by the next one. 'Not like it's our fault either way.'

Now she understands why Kirito hates him so much. She understands.

"Anyways, leave it to my associates and the others to do the searching. Not like I _want_ to keep you from running off, but it's for our own safety," the look on Argo's face turned serious, a rare expression that didn't really invoke confidence. "After all, Kayaba specifically calling _you_ out like that in public, going so far as to call that there power of yours a _cheat_ means that you're now under his radar. Who knows what he might try against you."

"I know, I know. Then again, we really shouldn't have been too surprised. After all, whatever _this_ is clearly isn't meant to fit in this world," Vabel seemed to nod in agreement with him. They supposed it's a blessing in disguise, but one that brings with it a slew of obstructions. "And I _am_ cheating this game, in a way. He'll take countermeasures to handle me."

"That is true, and we will need to be cautious," spoke Vabel, and everyone nodded in agreement.

So the rest of the day isn't exactly so memorable, nor was it pleasant. It was spent mostly in wandering the place and generally keeping low, though even without his unique cloak or weapon, he stood out like a sore thumb—'helped' by the fact that he was surrounded by girls, really. But what else could they do?

Whatever was going on right now… it couldn't possibly be any worse for the others.

* * *

_It's important to note that, in a story, our heroes alone are never meant to be the sole point of attention for those who spectate._

_It should also be taken into consideration that the current Wild Card, the Hero, shared a trait with his predecessors; the ability to draw others to his side. To inspire confidence and bravery in each individual, and receive trust from them._

_Of course, such would be highly hypocritical to assume that every event that transpires is a direct cause of his own hand. But rather, think of it as a pebble into a lake; the ripples from the impact reach out far, the waves reaching out farther than any may have initially thought._

_Before the topic of worlds should come into play, one should wonder just how far it could possibly reach in the castle of Aincrad alone._

_And in this very moment, it certainly reached far._

* * *

The castle of Aincrad still followed the rules of the human world, thus its time was regulated follow the twenty-four hours system that the humans make use of. As such, it was quite a long time later before the world was beset in darkness.

A chance for rest, for dreams (such a strange thought, no? That they are technically dreaming themselves into this world, yet capable to dream all the same), and perhaps some extra training.

For our figure of focus now, it certainly didn't work that way.

She was running.

Flanked on all sides by massive trees, the darkness that blanketed the endless forest would have proved an obstacle for her had she been defective, born with her natural night vision. Edges were highlighted, allowing her to move freely without crashing into something.

She couldn't afford to slow down or even stop.

Not when she was being chased by countless monsters.

Deep grumbles from the shadows far behind her did not faze her. She pushed on, still, vaulting over a fallen tree before landing onto the stump of one, and then leaping into the branches, never stopping as she continued to hop from one to the next.

Down below, the earth shifted and shook.

'They're still keeping up, huh..?' That was bad. Extremely bad, and she wasn't planning on fighting whatever was chasing her.

Everything had gone wrong the moment her queen and the King of the Forest Elves had come to meet in an attempt to bridge the gap between their nations. What should have been an attempt for diplomacy had quickly spiralled out of control when _they_ showed up.

Why is this happening? Where did they come from? _What_ are they?

With a grunt, she pours extra strength into her legs and leaps off a particularly shaky branch, dropping into a roll before allowing the momentum to carry her forwards into a better sprint, manoeuvring better over the few large rocks and trees that stood in her way.

She had a different mission now. To run, not for the sake of her own survival, but to find assistance. And her queen had specified one such person that might just be the key to their salvation. And if her queen had such faith in this particular human, then it would be in her right mind to seek him out as well.

If it meant saving her people, her kingdom and that of their old enemies', she was prepared to risk her life.

"Gah..!" She was caught off-guard by the massive arm that swung into her side, sending her crashing into the bark of a tree. The impact was powerful, and the tree snapped, toppling onto the ground with a massive thud and kicking up dust. "Ahhrk..!"

She wasn't content to simply remain laid on the ground, however, and with whatever strength she managed to muster, pushed herself up and leapt back—in time to dodge the second blow, an overhead hammer arm that cracked the earth.

Face of black fur that felt like a blanket of shadows, red eyes glowing widely as it stared down at her with a wide, fanged grin. Its body was covered with brown fur, while its limbs were yellow and striped. The serpent that stared at her from where it was connected to where the creature's tail was hissing, bloodthirsty.

In all her life, she had _never_ seen such a beast such as this. She had fought and slayed plenty of monsters; sentient plants, large boars, wasps and the like.

_Not_ this one.

"Nngh…" Drawing her blade from its sheathe, she slowly backed away from the growling monster, aware that others will catch up if she remained here for too long. She had been a fool to try and fight a horde of these things. They could tank hits, and tanked them they did. They were just incredibly resilient, and could hit harder.

Just a bit more. Just a bit more running and she'll reach her destination. And then, she would be safe.

Her hand gripped her weapon tight, jaws clenched. It wasn't meant to be this way… She can't stop here! Not when her objective was so close!

"Come at me!" She yelled.

The monster was all too happy to comply, charging straight for her with a guttural bellow. Slow as it was, she couldn't afford to be lax, knowing that her body would break if it either dropped its weight on her or just slammed into her.

She sidestepped the charge, backpedalling twice to avoid the serpent that snapped forwards to bite her. Two separate entities that worked incredible well; one the muscles, the other protecting its host's blind spot.

She had witnessed several other knights made the foolish decision to try and cut down the serpent, severing it from its host. It was entirely possible, but that enraged the beast, somehow making it _stronger_ than it already was. And in its state of rage and enhanced strength, it had torn countless to shreds.

She was not going to make the same mistake.

The woman avoided another forwards charge, raising her weapon in a defensive stance. This monster, for as simple as it seemed, was in truth a far bigger threat than any other monsters she's ever faced off against. It didn't help that it, along with all the other beasts that she has managed to elude thus far…

*Grhhaa!*

"Kh..!"

Dark energy pooled on the ground beneath her feet, and she managed to dodge it all at the very last second, but the explosion still knocked her a good feet away, thankfully not into a tree or boulder.

Magic. Honest-to-goodness _magic_.

These beings had come from nowhere and wracked havoc upon her people and those that would have been their allies. Bestowed with the gift of magic and logic-defying powers, it made sense that their kingdoms were now in ruins. And only one person—this fated saviour that her queen had sent her out to find—can save them.

She gripped her weapon, closed her eyes, and focused.

And somewhere within… something _flickered_.

It was a painful stab into the back of her mind as she pushed, and towering above her, the massive form of a stallion-riding humanoid.

Blue flames danced around its being, yet even those flames seemed weak. Its body seemed to fizzle between existence and nothingness, transparent to a point that it could be regarded as a trick of the light.

And yet—"S-Strike it down..!" It heeded her command all the same.

For just a fraction of a second, the being seemed to solidify, just long enough to ram itself into the monster, the strangely metallic horn sticking out from the skull of the horse piercing into the throat of the monster, killing it instantly.

That was all she could manage, however, as the pressure on her mind was just too much. Her concentration was cut off with a gasp, stumbling backwards as she clutched her head in both hands.

"No… time…" Panting, she refrained from shaking her head in favour of continuing her run. "Just a bit more…"

For the sake of her people, she had to make it. Not even the monsters hellbent on slaying her along with her brethren will stop her. Keep moving, no matter what.

* * *

14th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Farmhouse

Having already settled with this place as their unofficial base of operations—plus, Kirito's rented a place here, so of course they live here as well—it wasn't an odd sight for others to see a young teenager usually spending his time outside, either to nap, eat or train.

It _would_ be an unusual sight for most if there was suddenly a _demon_ standing over the ravenette, but at this point, it was old news. Not any less impressive, though.

"Whoa!" With an impossible stunt that would have most likely caused him to go paralyzed if he tried to attempt it in real life, he somehow managed to spin and twist mid-air to avoid getting struck by his teammates. He somehow managed to orient himself just right to land on both feet, then to sidestep the incoming thrusts of rapiers.

Against three expert players, it was very much a risky thing, but the power that he's currently wielding is impressive. It lets him move faster, lets him somehow slow down the world around him and react to the fastest of attacks. Neither Asuna's or Argo's incredible speed nor Vabel's strange ability to somehow come and go from nowhere and everywhere had been able to best him yet.

_Yet_.

"Take him down!" As one, the three girls lunged at him altogether with their battle cries, but Kirito had simply drawn his sword from his back and unleashed a spinning attack, not even striking them but producing enough of a gust to blow them back. "Damn it!"

"Sorry," and they might have believed him if it wasn't for the tone he was using, nor the shit-eating grin he had on his face. He didn't look guilty, nor did he look mean. He was just impressed like all of them. "Man, this is amazing… I don't even need to use Arsene's powers."

"But the fact still remains that certain feats can be accomplished through summoning Arsene," helpfully pointed out Vabel, ever the expert on the topic of Personae. "Like magic."

He nodded, all too eagerly. "I'm not disagreeing with you in that regard."

Everyone were tired, or at least experiencing the familiar sensations of being tired, this being a game world and all. But Kirito hardly looked exhausted. He seemed well, and seemed intent to keep his gaze focused on a distant tree, a thoughtful look on his face as he had his chin on his knuckles.

Even a week later, and there hasn't been any success in finding the boss room. Things have calmed down relatively enough, but there was still that silent trepidation that things might just get worse if they don't do anything.

Although, since nothing crazy has happened, it's either Kayaba being too lazy to do something or that he's waiting for them to actually move on to the next floors. And whose fault was it that the boss rooms were just hard to find, huh?

"So, what's next on the chopping block?" Asked Argo, twirling a dagger in her hands. "We've pretty much covered all our bases. Even these past three days, we couldn't find the boss room after searching pretty much the _entire floor_."

"At this rate, that pipe dream of reaching floor one-hundred may as well be as good as impossible," sighing, Kirito still managed to put on a smile. "Still, that's what Kayaba _wants_ us to think. We just need to keep our heads high, and I'm sure we'll get through this."

Uplifting and positive. It made sense, and it was reason enough for them to keep pushing on.

So forgive her if she and Argo suddenly stared at him with incredulity, his smile wilting slowly until it became a thin line, perhaps a little distrusting of his own words.

Not like she could fault him, really. It's not like the world would decide to just throw them a bone just like tha—

*Ping!*

"Hmm?" A brow perked, Kirito had started fiddling with his menu. "Hang on, Klein sent me a message. Let me read it for a bit."

Klein, leader of his little ragtag group of proud warriors. She wasn't sure what to think of them, but they had proved to be quite the adept group during their fight in town last week. And they were all good people, even if their leader was just a tad bit too… eccentric? Flighty?

She wasn't sure what to say."

"What was entailed in Klein's message, Kirito?" Vabel's question directed everyone's gazes back towards the boy, and this time, they could see how his expression slowly morphed into open-mouthed, wide-eyed shock.

The message didn't look very long, but he was clearly rereading it quite a few times, if the way his eyes seemed to drift from top to down repeatedly.

And then, a gulp.

"Uhh… well," he began, only to facepalm. "_Something_ happened…"

That did not sound so good.

* * *

6th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Horunka Village

Horunka. What a sight to see.

Granted, they'd been here just a few days ago, just to check if anything different had happened or the place was demolished. Fortunately, the village seemed safe, and its people were unaware of anything that had occurred back in town.

If there was one question on Kirito's mind, it would be how Klein and his group somehow stumbled upon a _Dark Elf_ in the forests.

Having been part of the beta test, one thing he remembered from his experiences was the Elf War, a campaign that took part on the third floor, all the way to the ninth floor. It was a massive campaign that detailed the battles between the Dark Elves and Forest Elves.

In case no one got it yet, there should _not_ be a Dark Elf here. It was just impossible.

Then again, who was he to say? Given everything that's transpired, nothing could really be considered as impossible anymore.

Whatever suspicions he had on the matter were clearly shoved out of his mind upon spotting Klein. And the look on his face bordered confusion and concern.

"Klein," the group rushed over to the house, the man leaning against the wall raising an arm. "Hey, you called us earlier? What's up? You didn't give much detail."

"Heh, yeah. It's just… I wasn't even sure of what to write to you," his arms uncrossed, he gestured a thumb behind him. "She's currently inside, said that she wanted to meet you as soon as she could. Even mentioned your name specifically."

"She… knows who I am?" Black eyes widened slightly before he shook his head. "Never mind that. Right, I'll meet her."

The village house is natural, ancient. Simple furnishing that was meant for comfort rather than lavish looks. It was cool inside, thanks to the open windows and generally spacious rooms. They were lead up the stairs, an old couple sitting in the living room with worried expressions, while a few of Klein's friends were there trying to comfort them. Probably didn't expect anything either.

He climbed the wooden stairs slowly, each step producing a creak. There were two rooms, presumably bedrooms, and one of Klein's friends was guarding the door at the end of the corridor. He nodded and stepped aside to grant passage, and the boy twisted the knob as he stepped inside.

The room was quaint, simple. A bed pushed to the wall with its headrest against it, while a single curtained window gave view to the right. There were hardly any decorations, but it looked comfortable.

And yet, the room wasn't what really caught everyone's attention. But rather…

"It's you," the voice was firm, tired and feminine. It belonged to the woman with violet eyes, equally-coloured hair that fell off her shoulders. She would be wearing armour, if it weren't for the fact that her guards and cloak were currently sitting on the desk in the corner, leaving her in just a black skinsuit.

She was a human. A right assumption, were it not for the pointy ears that stuck out from her purple hair.

Kirito's breath hitched, and he could hear something similar from Argo. This person… They already knew that it was a Dark Elf, but this one in particular… no, it can't be. There's just no way.

"You are the Hero, correct?" She asked, straightening her posture from where she was seated upright on the bed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Kirito."

"N-No need for the 'Sir' bit," he tells her, frowning somewhat. "You are..?"

"Kizmel," her response drew looks of surprise from the two Beta Testers in the room, something that she took notice of. "Yes? Is there an issue?"

"N-No, nothing like that. It's just…" He hesitated, only to back out of the idea he had. There was just no way. "It's nothing. Kizmel, you say? Klein told me earlier that you wanted to meet us. Is that true?"

The woman nodded. "It is true. My people are in need of your assistance, Kirito, for we have been attacked."

"Attacked?" Argo was the one who spoke up, moving forwards to stand beside him. "Seriously? Odd. Did the Forest Elves get the jump o on you, or—"

"No, it wasn't them," confusion hit him like a bullet.

"It's not them? But I thought the Dark Elves and Forest Elves are enemies," that's been the single thing that's been the driving force behind their feuds with one another for all this time. "What do you mean the _Forest Elves_ didn't attack you?"

"Your words would prove true at any time, but this time, it is a different force entirely," there was no deceit in her tone, and that only drove the knife deeper in his gut. "Would you… Would you be willing to hearken to my tale? I speak naught but the truth, and seek to assist my people as soon as possible."

"Err… sure," he wasn't certain if just sitting here and listen to her talk about the attack would do anyone good, but it's not like they had anything else going on for them. "Start from the beginning, if you could."

She nodded, hands on her lap. "Understood. You see, it began like this…"

* * *

By the time everything was said and done, there was no more noise. And it made sense, for everything that they've heard thus far was nothing short of ridiculous.

How could he not think that way? The Elf War, back during the beta test, was about nothing but the two elves fighting against one another. Petty reasons or for economy, he doubted Kayaba really went into the specifics when he was designing the campaign, but it was a fact that these two forces were just like oil and water.

So imagine his surprise when she spoke of how the queen of the Dark Elves and the king of the Forest Elves suddenly decided for a _peace treaty_, only for the signing ceremony to suddenly be interrupted by _monsters_ that she did her best to describe as accurately as possible, yet he and everyone else had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.

There was talk about how she had to move from floor to floor to get to where they were, and he thought it would be impossible, given the fact that the boss monsters would still be alive to guard their respective rooms, but he supposed he could turn a blind eye to that fact.

Nonetheless, many had been slaughtered by this sudden invasion, and she had been one of the few survivors.

Her queen, either in her dying breaths or before they truly separated, had ordered her to find _him_—the Hero, which just so happens to be his title—to request his assistance in saving her people.

The weirdest thing from all of this wasn't the sudden involvement of monsters and magic and stuff, but it was the fact that there wasn't a quest marker above her head throughout the entire time.

NPC's designed to give quests to players would always have a quest marker above their head. It's been a steadfast rule all this while, and the fact that she's been talking all this time with her request _not_ being registered as an actual quest was concerning.

It wasn't himself who seemed so lost. Argo herself was pondering heavily on everything she's just heard, while Asuna, Vabel and Klein were just trying to run the story through their heads again just to understand things a little better. Kizmel seemed content with waiting, either because of patience or her need to collect herself.

When all was done, and he was certain he had himself under control, his mouth parted to speak, only for someone to beat him to the punch.

"What the hell? None of that makes sense!" She was laughing in disbelief, the kind of laughter that was reflecting his inner feelings so well, and the kind that came from a person who just had a taste of madness. "How did monsters come out of nowhere and decide to attack your kingdoms just like that?"

"I don't know. Only that they came out of nowhere, and seemed focus on eradicating our kind. No, I suppose that would be inaccurate… They simply seek to kill without reason. For sport," her words had frozen everyone in place, all of Argo's fury quickly washed into silence. "There is nothing we can do now… We are losing, and we are unable to fight back because they are too many, and far too powerful. We have tried to outlast them for as long as we could, but we simply could not keep up…"

Yeah, no kidding. They… To think that, just as Kayaba had released the three floor bosses, it was also the timing when they were all attacked by these mysterious assailants. It would be coincidence, and it would be so easy to blame it on Kayaba, but that was just impossible.

After all, the man only held control over all things Aincrad and the like. He wasn't able to lock away Kirito's powers. It might just make sense that these monsters aren't his doing as well.

Or they could be, but he highly doubted it. From the way she described them, they seemed a little too… fantastical to be Kayaba's doing.

He was broken out of his thoughts when the Dark Elf bent her body to bow, but he could see the hopeful expression on her face. "Hero Kirito, I genuinely require your help to save our kingdoms. While it isn't a fight you should need to burden yourself with, I… we have no one else to turn to, and you are our best choice. You were in our prophecies, after all, so please…"

Yet again, he was thrust into a seemingly impossible situation. How odd that the weirdness just looks for him, instead of him actively seeking them out. He's starting to wonder if, other than his Persona powers, he just seems to have bad luck.

First, being accused of being a cheater by Kibaou and a good deal of the other players, and now bottled-up bad luck. Is there ever going to be an end to the surprises?

But no, he still had Kizmel's request to take into consideration (and is it just him, but has she been staring at him this entire time? So strange…), and the answer came easily. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

Everyone wore expressions of shock as they stared at him, the elf saying nothing all the same. She raised her head, a weak smile that accompanied her resigned smile.

"Is that so..?" The pain in her voice was not missed, and smiling didn't hide that. "I see… That is fine. Thank you for listening to me nonetheless—"

"I can't help you _alone_, considering just how many monsters we're talking about here," he continued on with a shrug, his nonchalant expression soon breaking away into a smile as he watched her calm look turn into surprise. "Strong as I may be, one man alone will change nothing. So, we need to match them in terms of numbers. Plus… I can't fight alone anymore. Admittedly, I work better with a team, so I'll have to bring my friends along. If you don't mind, of course."

"I… No, of course not," she was smiling again, more happily this time. "Your words bring me joy, Kirito. I am pleased to know that I can rely on you."

"Of course. I don't intend to sit back and do nothing," he then turned his head to look at the others. "And I can assume you're coming with?"

"Indeed. Where you go, we go."

"Right! And geez, Kii-bou, don't ever do that. You hurt poor Kii-chan."

That comment got him to cringe, genuinely apologetic as he looked back to the elf. "I-I didn't mean that. Sorry."

"No, no, it's fine. I'm simply relieved to know that I have allies," a balled hand moved to her breast, where her heart was. "I, Kizmel, Royal Knight of Her Highness the Queen of Dark Elves, shall fight alongside you, if you allow it."

"We'll be happy to have you with us, Kizmel-chan!" Nodded Asuna with a chirp. "Oh, but you should still get some rest. I don't think it's a good idea for you to keep fighting in this sort of situation."

"Ah, but we haven't the moment to lose. We should—"

"We need you at your best to fight the enemy, Kizmel. As you are now, you're only going to be a liability."

Hard, cold truth. He wished he could have phrased it a little better, if the glares he got from two of his friends meant anything. But better she understands that than not.

One could find his desire to protect her odd, considering that she was just an NPC, and yet… too many things are just going wrong. Her survival, alone, was an error—she had died during the beta test, yet here she is now, still alive and well.

There was reason for her survival, he knows it. And for that, he was going to protect her for as long as he could.

"I… I understand," she didn't look pleased, but she understood his reasoning. "Very well. I shall be sure to get proper rest. Do forgive me."

"Don't worry about it. You _did_ just run a few floors to get here," shrugging, he looks to the local Persona expert. "Vabel, do me a favour and tell Klein everything that Kizmel shared with us. He should know what's about to happen, just to be safe."

She nodded without a word, taking her leave almost immediately.

For now, they would just need to take some time off to let Kizmel give her body the rest it needs. And then, they will have her act as their guide, as she would be the one to know how to navigate the place and find the boss rooms necessary for them to proceed onto the next floor.

One thing's for sure, whatever evils awaited them beyond this floor was not going to make things easy. And he was looking forwards to that.


	10. What Awaited Them in the Beyond

Chapter VII: **W**hat **A**wai**t**ed T**h**em in t**h**e Beyon**d**

* * *

19th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

In a game of strategies, no amount of planning made before the day of battle is ever truly enough, yet they are just as every bit important to predict and form a countermeasure for every possibility, and lead the team to victory.

It's that reason alone why strategists, even those that don't necessarily take to the fields of battle and fight alongside their army, are regarded so highly. Their plans are capable of turning the tides of battle in their favour, paving a path that guarantees absolute victory. Brawns just aren't everything. Brains, too, made a lot of difference.

It was that reason alone…

"So this pathway would essentially be the safest one to cross the Forest of Wavering Mists and quickly arrive at Zumfut. And then, we'll use this path to get to the boss monster's room. Is that correct?"

"Indeed."

That he left all the strategizing to Asuna.

It sounded like an odd decision. Being the self-acclaimed professional player that he is, and one who really takes any game seriously, strategizing was one pre-game aspect that he always handled carefully. In a video game that was seriously planning to kill you if you lost? You'd think he'd be even more invested in it than ever before.

And yeah, he is! But, well, when there are just other people around to do the job, it would make sense to leave them to it, yeah? Besides, it's not like he technically asked Asuna to do it. She'd already started long before he even said a word. Vabel would make for an excellent tactician too, but she's just too airheaded sometimes, and Argo was far too lax to really bother doing the serious stuff.

God bless Asuna. And thank whatever gods decided to put her in this game, for as awful as that may sound.

"These areas are festering with magical beasts. Were we to try to cut through here, we'd only allow ourselves to get outnumbered and overwhelmed," a small shudder. She'd gone through that on her own already and barely survived it. "For that, it would be highly advised for us to break off from the main path to Zumfut if we intend to avoid them."

Avoiding them sounded like the most logical choice of actions. Sure, they would make good enemies to grind for experience points, but with the possibility of getting massacred by their large numbers on the table? No chance.

For as powerful as he was with Arsene, Asuna had advised him against it, and even Kirito felt like it would have been a suicidal endeavour. He may be The Hero, but he wasn't hoping to meet his 'heroic end' in the beginning section of the game!

"We're back!"

"Ah, welcome back."

Argo joined them at the table as she, with an exaggerated huff, fell to a chair before tossing a bag of potions onto the table. Vabel arrived a moment later, a sword and some fragments of armour cradled in her arms. Around them, people watched before returning to their food, their curiosity on the famous (or infamous, depending on who you asked) summoner and his odd group thankfully not too long. The smell of fresh food wafted in the air, and he wasn't sure what to feel.

One might argue that they could have done their discussions back in the room that Kirito was renting, but that was impossible because of two things: one, Argo wanted lunch and would keep making a fuss of it if she couldn't get some food, and two, the landlord or whomever owned the place kicked them out.

Apparently, some NPC's that stayed in the area were intimidated by Arsene and his 'summoner'. Said they couldn't sleep at night because of his cackling.

Okay, that was untrue! _Arsene_ cackles, not him! And he so blamed Kayaba for this.

'Guess we'll move to Zumfut, or just _camp_,' it would take some time getting accustomed to, after so much time spent sleeping on beds in comfy little rooms with heaters and nice blankets and—ack, getting side-tracked over here. "Everything went alright?"

"Yep. My haggling skills and Vabel's nonplussed combined equals easy gains," Argo puffed her chest outwards, seeming proud of that. "We got boatloads of potions to last us for days, plus some food from the cook here. Liz-chan fixed up Kii-chan's stuff for her, and they're good as brand new!"

"Thank you for that," the purplette accepted her equipment from the other girl. "Let me—"

"_Don't!_" Two girls screamed, drawing attention to their table. The boy in their group turned away, suddenly finding the sky a lot more interesting.

"Why do you—Ah, yes. Human cultures," she settled for that simple answer, as Vabel so helpfully provided one time. "I suppose I'll have to wait until we find someplace else to change."

"That works too," he sighed. Honestly, he'd thought he was the weird one. "So anyways, just to keep you up-to-date with our current plans, we're going to move for Zumfut while staying away from the main paths. That should at least be enough to ensure that Argo, I'll need you to spread the info to everyone."

"Already on it," she said, typing something in the air. Presumably sending a text to one of her helpers.

He nodded, expression hardening. "We'll move out tomorrow, first thing in the morning. I've stressed this enough already, but we _must_ be careful, alright everyone? Who knows what's waiting for us in those forests."

For all he knew, entering combat with a dark elf sounded more preferable than some magic-wielding cryptid, but he supposed that you just can't have all good things in the world.

* * *

20th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 2, Dungeon, Outside the Boss Room

"I'm telling you, there has to be some form of transportation in this game. I'm willing to bet all my money on that."

"That would be sooo helpful…"

The fact that his friends agreed with him made him want to find a stallion even quicker.

"Then we should focus on getting to the castle soon," Kizmel chimed in immediately after, a soft smile on her features. "Certain knights are trained for horseback, so there will be plenty of horses to use. That is, if they haven't died in the attack…"

"Here's hoping that they're alright," he frowned, genuinely concerned by the sound of things. If it looked bad now, it certainly knew how to get worse.

If these monsters are as terrible as she made them to be, then they couldn't afford to be lax. Fortunately, with the amount of Cor that they've made, they were able to make much preparation. All that was left now was to hope for the best and do what they can.

The labyrinth was eerily silent. No wild mobs, no enemies, nothing. Their footsteps were the only things that sounded along this hallway, his narrowed eyes shooting everywhere in case something jumped out to attack them. When the time is right, he'll draw out his 'Regalia', but for now, he'll just rely on plain and simple.

Rather than have his sword hung from his back, he had them clipped to the left side of his waist, if only for easier access to his blade. And he's got to say, it's way easier; lets him keep his hand over the hilt of his sword more easily.

"How much farther in, Kizmel?" He asked, looking to his right and staring down the vacant corridor. Nothing.

"Just a little more. We'll reach the monster's domain soon," answered the woman.

Soon enough, the group of five arrived at two massive doors. The boy was at the fore, his sword drawn, giving a nod to his teammates before he pushed the two doors inwards, hearing the way it scraped against the floor. They peered inside, noticing how it was already well-lit.

And in the far ends of the room…

"I can't believe it… Nothing. Absolutely goddamn nothing."

"W-Well… At least he was nice to us in that regard."

In that regard, he could agree with Asuna completely. Seems that, for as sadistic as the man was, he still knew how to be 'fair', even if lumping three whole bosses on them on the first floor with no time to plan could hardly be considered as 'fair'.

The battle hadn't been easy. He'd be foolish to think otherwise; powers or no, it was extremely taxing to take on three bosses consecutively in a row. It helped that there were a lot of players, reluctant or otherwise, present to help them fight the monsters. The last one, Asterius, was not easy, but it met its end all the same.

No casualties, thankfully. And the moment the battle was over, the Town of Beginnings regained its status as a safe zone, although he'd be lying if that made him feel safe. If anything, he felt suspicious, and all too tense—something that his teammates shared.

Maybe it was a trick. Maybe, by some small chance, the three bosses would still spawn against if they came here in this room.

And here they are, the room barren and empty.

"The door that allows us to move to the next area is open as well," told Kizmel. "And I hadn't unlocked it, in case you are wondering. It was already unlocked when I arrived here."

"Is that so? That's… good," he was at a loss for words. He seriously didn't know what to say. "Argo, anything changed?"

"Not sure, but so far, there isn't anything else. We've access to the next floor and everything," shrugged the girl. "So, that's it."

"If that is the case, then it should probably be fine for us to progress," Vabel said. "Unless there is anything we need to do?"

Everyone shook their heads, and that was more than enough. "Alright, girls. Let's get moving. Argo, send the message to the other players."

Nothing more that they can do for now.

* * *

20th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 3, Forest of Wavering Mist

A long time ago, when Kirito and Argo had been a part of 'Sword Art Online' through its beta test, when it was much simpler times and summoning ethereal beings _weren't_ part of the package, floor 3 had been a wonder to explore.

It was _beautiful_, period. Completely different from any other region of the castle, this floor was filled to the brim with beautiful plants and blanketed in thick fog, which limited one's vision but only added to its beauty, helped by the multiple flickering lights of the bugs in the air to provide a chilling, yet comfortable ambience. Greens, blues and greys, with bright yellows in the air. It truly was a sight to behold.

This floor would have been the _true_ start to their Aincrad days, for here, they would have encountered a battle between a Dark Elf and a Forest Elf, and they would have had to make their choice—thus drawing them into the great Elf War, what would have been such an incredible war campaign in this gae…

But damn whatever god that pissed on them, because Argo wished she could just enjoy exploring this place and not worry about being ambushed by some mythical monsters out for their blood.

"Keep close, everyone. We don't want to get separated," she heard their de facto leader mutter, quiet enough that only they could hear it—a good idea. Any louder and he might have alerted any monster. They nodded back. "And Argo, the info about the monsters, you sure you shared that bit with everyone?"

Goddamnit, _this_ again? "_Yes_, Kii-bou. I shared the info with every living person on this freaking castle. Hell, I even had your samurai buddy and Liz-chan post it everywhere."

"You certain about that?" She wasn't going to repeat herself for the umpteenth time. Her silence said enough. "Alright then."

On one hand, she could hardly blame him for being overly cautious in literally everything. With how drastic a change this game has undergone, no amount of caution can really be thrown to the wind anymore.

On the other hand, _jeez louise_! Calm down! She's literally triple-checked to make sure that everything proceeded as the plans did!

She's just glad that Klein and his friends were more than happy enough to be good sport to spread the message. With how friendly and charismatic the guy is, his word was truth as far as they were concerned—rivalled even the news itself. And Liz-chan was a cute girl who got a lot of customers, so she could just tell them, and they'd tell others, and the process continues.

And look at what they've achieved! Info gets spread all around, thus equipping them with the knowledge to better prepare themselves when they're about to travel on this floor, which in turn reduces the likeliness of anyone dying. How about that?

Heh, she's so smart, she should be given a gold medal. Maybe she'll have someone make one for her in the future.

"This forest is so beautiful…" Vabel looked around herself, amazed. "Were we allowed to explore it to our hearts' content and not worry, I would have loved to simply enjoy a stroll or two."

"Definitely," agreed Argo. "Plus, the _normal_ monsters aren't even that strong here, so it would've been fine… Bleh. What can we do? Oh, any movements so far, Kii-chan?"

Dark Elves, logically and lore-wise, have evolved to tackle the dark nature of their surroundings. They live in the cover of darkness, so it made sense that their senses had naturally adapted to help them. Night vision and heightened sense of hearing really helped a lot.

Oh, sure, as human players, they had access to the «Searching» ability, but they'd still need time to hone it—time, which they don't really have. With Kii-chan around, might as well make the most out of things. She's got it in the bag with this one.

"None yet," she answered. The elf paused in her movement, everyone following suit. "Hold… There's something in the distance…"

As one, the group of five stared forwards, trying to see past the dense mist that blocked their way. It was one thing to not be able to see, but also another to _hear_ nothing. That honestly worried her more than anything. If there really was something there, then she was sure they'd be able to-

Grey quickly shifted into bright orange as a pair of orbs are lobbed right at them, dispersing the fog.

"Watch out!" Kirito yelled, pushing the elf behind him as he summoned his 'Regalia', tanking the hit. Even so, the timing couldn't have been any more perfect, as the demon materializes behind the black-clad swordsman. "Crap… They found us already?"

Laughing. Eerily childish, but not fully human. And soon enough, whatever had assaulted them showed themselves before the group. Pumpkins. Literal floating jack-o'-lanterns with witch hats and gloved hands, clutching a lantern in one.

"Jack-o'-Lanterns!" Vabel yelled, suddenly more aware than she was earlier. Her weapon drawn, the girl was already beside their leader in a battle-ready stance. "Be careful. They're not particular strong, but are capable of fire magic."

"Yeah, we can tell," she was no fighter herself, but what little could they do but fight their way out of anything in this world? That was more than reason enough to equip her claws. "What's the plan? Take em' out quick and easy?"

"Kizmel, stay in the back and see if there're any more of these… things. Asuna, guard her. Argo and Vabel are with me," he withdrew Annealed Blade with his left hand. "Keep close. Exploit every opening, and take them out _fast_."

As if that had been their cue, the monsters cast a spell of fire that barrelled straight for them like a pair of bullets. Augmented strength allowed the demon to cleave his way right through the spells, easily dispelling them.

'They surely have a recharge time. That's when we'll have to go in for the kill!' It was such a simple behaviour pattern that it would be foolish not to take advantage of.

Vabel was with her as the two charged forwards, claws and rapier shooting forwards as they struck bullseye. Her teammate's «Linear» easily depleted the creature's health to nil, her own attack easily replicating the same effect. Vigorous training had certainly be worth it, for these monsters crumpled almost immediately from their strength.

Even then, she'd been amazed at what she'd just seen. Monsters within the game typically die with one effect; bursting into polygons. Such held true for the players themselves, which wouldn't be enough to really differentiate one from the other, or the human-like mobs.

These things disintegrated into black smoke. A clear distinction from the residents and visitors of Aincrad.

"Argo, be careful! More to your right!"

"**Hah!"**

A burst of dark energy catches her off-guard, having been detonated a little too close, though it seemed it was for the other Jack-o'-Lantern that she hadn't noticed. Too foolish it had been, unable to protect itself as it was engulfed in pure black energy.

She gave a thumbs-up, which Arsene reciprocated.

Cackling from her six o' clock had her whirling around to the sight of countless more floating pumpkins, but Arsene had beaten her to the punch, having shot forwards like a missile and tore right through them with little hesitation. Kirito's health, having been sacrificed to give a little boost to Arsene, was filled back up thanks to a simple potion. She exchanged a nod with him, and moved onwards.

Plan A, to sneak their way through the forest; busted. Plan B? Tear their ways through!

"So these are some of the monsters that attacked you guys?!" Yelled Argo, ripping through some sort of floating pumpkin with her claws. "They're most certainly not from Ain—Whoah!"

Orange engulfed her vision for just a split moment before she threw herself to the ground, Kirito tanking the hit with little difficulty. The shockwave dispelled the mist from around them, though the smoke was next to provide cover.

Vabel shot forwards, her rapier a beautiful gleam of light that sailed right into its head, killing it in an instant. She moved onto the next, plucking one Jack-o'-Lantern and another. Argo dispatched another group on her own, their speed allowing them to make quick work of the enemies in their path.

From their flank, she watched out of the corner of her eye as Asuna slashed down a pumpkin that got a little too close, Kizmel holding her own with far more ease than she expected. The way her sword just seemed to dance about her, she was a professional fighter.

"Keep moving!" Kirito's voice rung through, everyone nodding as they broke into a run. "Kizmel! Which way?!"

"We need to keep heading east!" She screamed through the sounds of explosions, burning and bright lights. "There will be a point when the path forks! Use the right path, it'll take us straight to Zumfut!"

_Eee-hee-hee_… Even more Jack-o'-Lanterns spawn out of thin air, their misty cover doing little to really hide them.

From behind them, even more.

She heard a grumble from their leader. By then, however, Kirito had already moved, with speed that far surpassed theirs thanks to his gifted power. His swords in both hands slashed right through the horde like butter. Black blurred from left to right to up and down, each swing of his weapons leaving nothing but death in their wake.

He flicked his wrists and stabbed Elucidator into one pumpkin, cleaving another with his second sword. He flipped back into the air, allowing Vabel to take charge and stab the next few monsters with her weapon. One made the mistake of getting too close to him, which prompted him to kick it back towards Asuna, who cleaved it mid-air.

There sure were a lot of them, yet they seemed to be faring quite well. And as she watched the entire action around her, actually pausing to _look_, one thought came to Argo's mind.

'With the rate that we're going, anyone wouldn't be wrong to assume we're just playing a hack-and-slash game,' sweat-dropped the girl. 'Well, nothing we can do about it, I suppose.'

For now, they need to get to Zumfut. To safety.

* * *

20th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 3, Zumfut

"That. Was. Exhausting!"

"I agree. It wasn't easy."

All eyes turned towards him, and though he had the sudden urge to just look away and pretend that he hadn't heard that, his own idiocy prevented him from committing to such. Instead, he looked back and shrugged.

"Hey, don't look at me. I fought just as much as you did," he shot back.

Asuna giggled silently to herself as the two Beta Testers warred a battle of their own, though it was the girl who backed off first, grumbling about how unfair things was while the other was busy fighting down his shit-eating grin.

Zumfut was as safe as it could be, situated on the third floor which the farthest floor from where the Dark Elves' castle was. That had been the place where all these monsters emerged from, according to Kizmel's intel.

The moment they'd arrived, plenty NPC's who recognized Kizmel were quick to welcome her and her group of friends, all relieved to see that one of the queen's knights had survived. It didn't take much longer than that before they were offered lodging, rations and equipment after Asuna explained what they were planning to do.

To travel to the castle and take on the monsters and save the king and queen.

She looked out through the window of the inn that they were renting, and the town was made from three _trees_, instead of actual buildings. That alone set the bars high for how diverse the towns could be in this world, and the possibility of coming upon something even more unique piqued her interest.

While Argo started running Kirito's ear off about something, she instead turned his attention towards Vabel.

"Vabel-chan," she called out, getting her attention. "What we faced back there… You seemed to recognize what they are. Jack-o'-lanterns. Are they what attacked Kizmel-chan and her people?"

"Hmm… No, I doubt it. They were the low-levelled Shadows. I doubt even a large number of them would have been enough to besiege a castle," she set the book she had been reading onto her lap. "Rather, it must have been others."

Shadows… What an intriguing name. Not like they just fought floating pumpkins. But it still does make her curious.

"Shadows eh? Some name," there was a small wave of her hand before Argo progressed. "But eh, what do I know? So, what are they, oh resident Persona expert?"

"Shadows… Well, were I to simplify it, a Shadow is a part of someone that they've hidden away from others. A suppressed form of someone's psyche, if you would," the explanation elicits a few curious looks from the players and sole NPC in the room. "And those whose willpower are strong, those who can come to terms with themselves and their own Shadows, are capable of taming them. And they, in turn, become a Persona."

"Just like me, huh?" He quirked a brow, willing Arsene into existence. "Then again, all I got was a splitting headache, and there comes Arsene. What's up with that?"

"**Such was the case with my earlier host as well, and you two are quite similar,"** chuckled the demon. **"After all, you were determined to save your friends, just as he wished to protect his. I suppose that answers your curiosity?"**

"Hmm… I'm not sure, but I'll let it slide," he quickly added the last part for effect. "For now."

Arsene chuckled a deep and rumbling sound, not so different from a motor. Kizmel watched him, a fascinated look on her face that she once had a long time ago. Then again, even now, she just can't help but feel amazed looking at him.

But what they've learnt today has already brought to surface an even worrying issue. Shadows, a wholly new group of enemies… well, there wasn't much that they could realistically do in this scenario but keep progressing as usual. It's a bummer, for certain, but not reason enough for them to give up.

Thankfully, they still obeyed the rules of this world; they possessed health that can indeed be depleted, and still granted item drops and Exp. like any other monsters do. Had that not been the case, they would have been in great trouble.

Seeing that they're _Shadows_, a clearly different group of mobs they have to face, they too had their special abilities and innate resistances and the like. Just as summoning Arsene seemed to reduce physical damage inflicted upon himself, they must surely have their own specific resistances, immunities and the like.

But therein lied another issue that made her wonder…

"Kizmel-chan," she tilted her head towards the purplette, who stared back. "You told us before that you were ambushed by Shadows during the peace treaty ceremony. But Vabel-chan believes that they weren't the ones you had to fight. Is that correct?"

"That's… Yes. The ones we fought today were not the ones we fought during the attack," she bit her lip, gaze falling to her lap. "The ones we had to fend off that day were different. I can't exactly be certain what they were, but…"

"Well, we've got a walking Shadows compendium with us," Kirito nodded his head towards Vabel. "Vabel here recognized the Shadows we were up against. Jack-o'-Lanterns. Why don't you try giving us a description of a few you've faced?"

"Understood. One was a yellow-furred beast with a black face and red eyes. There was also a two-headed dog with a green mane, and another was a humanoid red-skinned creature. It weld a polearm weapon," the dark elf recounted.

Vabel hummed, closing her eyes to recall the names of the Shadows. "…Nue, Orthrus and Oni. I see… They are indeed formidable Shadows. Far stronger than the ones we faced."

That did not sound good. Enough to make the air feel heavy. "How strong?" Asuna asked.

"Mmm… Were we to denote their strengths in numbers, the Shadows we faced today would be between two and six. The three she faced…" And the grim expression on her face already unsettled him. "Twenty and twenty-two."

"_Twenty-two_?!" A chair crashed into the wall as she got up. Argo's face had gone pale, hands shaking. "Wait a minute, y-you're actually expecting us to go fight against things _that_ strong? We'll be slaughtered! And this is still just the early ten floors of Aincrad!"

Her concern was not unfounded. As they are, their levels just wouldn't be enough for them to handle Shadows that strong. To fight against one would be a pain in itself. But to go against a wave of them would be a nightmare. How Kizmel managed to escape from there was nothing short of a miracle.

T-This can't be… Shouldn't the game be doing something. Kirito mentioned something about the game having some amazing processing system that handles things that go on in the game. Shouldn't it remove those bugs?

'If they remove those monsters, they might remove Kirito-kun's powers,' her brain supplied, which turned the lead in her stomach into heavier steel. That would be a massive setback in this world that intended to kill them, no matter what.

Asuna watched out of the corner of her eyes as their leader tutted, crossing his arms against the wall as countless thoughts ran in his head. Possibly some strategy or method to quickly overcome this level barrier, which even she felt was impossible.

Having utilized the 'Little Nepenthes grind' tactic before, she knew it wouldn't work again. Sure, they could spawn more by attacking the one with the fruit, but even then, there was bound to be a cap as to how much Exp. you could gain from there. There _would_ be Exp., but they'll soon reach a brick wall with how much they could get before they'd level up.

Boss monsters were out of the equation as well. The floor bosses don't respawn, and the same applies for the field bosses. The ones that spawn only for certain quests might never spawn again, unless the quest can be reactivated—alas, not all quests can be repeated like the Little Nepenthes flower quest.

Is this it? Had they finally hit their limits..?

"But, is it not possible for Kirito to take them out?" Asked Kizmel, all eyes shifting towards her next. "After all, he possesses the power of Persona. That alone grants him incredible strength."

"As flattered as I am to hear that, I'm not certain I alone would be enough," sighed the boy, a cold fact they all had to come to terms with. "My strength as is would be akin to a number thirteen, and with my 'Regalia', I'd put myself at a solid fifteen. That's still five levels away from twenty. I'm not certain I'd be able to take on all of them alone."

And never would she even _think_ of letting him go out to fight those things on his own. He might know his way around the game and has already proven himself a capable fighter, but if he were to die in the fight because they relied on him too much?

She wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

"But what if there were others with your power?" She suggested next.

"Wouldn't that be nice?" Asuna sighed, dejected. "Unfortunately, the only one thus far who could use a Persona is Kirito-kun. There's no one else thus far who've shown such abilities."

"With Kii-bou's luck, maybe one will fall onto our laps."

"I thought I bring bad luck, not _good_."

"Don't jinx it!"

The argument that the three were in were silenced by a small cough, all heads turning towards Kizmel once more. This time, however, there is a sheepish expression on her face, looking embarrassed for a reason unknown.

Unknown, until it struck Vabel first, eyes wide with realization. "You… can summon a Persona as well?"

"I… cannot. Not to the extent that Kirito can," she admitted, eliciting gasps from the girls and a wide-eyed look from the boy. "Mine is still… weak. I cannot summon it perfectly, and using its power for even a moment aches my mind. But I received his aid while I was on the cusp of death, and it was with his power that I managed to escape from the Shadows at the castle."

Silence ensued when her words ended, everyone staring at her with expressions of surprise. Argo's attempt at talking never came as her mouth seemed to fail her, and Asuna was a little wide-mouthed than usual.

Kirito was the first to recover, and with it, a quip of his own. "So that makes two Persona-users then. Neat."

"Are you kidding me?! We had _two_ Persona-users this entire time, and we never knew!" Argo threw her arms in the air, looking both grateful and displeased at the same time. Probably wanted to break something too. "So, you can't summon your Persona. Why not?"

She shook her head. "I'm… not certain. I hadn't the opportunity to actually try ever since I met you."

Unable to summon a Persona… Headache… Strange. What problem was she facing?

When Kirito first awakened to Arsene, he mentioned something about a splitting headache. That, as well as how Arsene questioned his determination—would he fight to protect his friends? Resolved, Elucidator formed before him. He shattered it, and thus confirmed his ability to utilize the power of Persona.

Kizmel can't summon her Persona. Why not? What was it that Kirito could do but not her..?

"You know, you should seriously stop mumbling like that," her train of thoughts ended as she looked to her friends, noticing Argo's uneasy look. "It's kinda' weird."

"Sorry. I just realized something," he looked to the dark elf. "Kizmel, when you first summoned your Persona, can you describe to me how it went?"

"I… Well, it was in the heat of the moment, so do forgive me if I cannot recall it perfectly," she closed her eyes, the image of the terrifying stallion and its rider coming to mind. "I remember how we were sieged… How our knights, both that of the dark and forest elves, attempted to defend our king and queen against the monsters. But it was no use—"

"—In a matter of seconds, we were quickly overrun. My queen sent me after you, and somewhere along the way, I was cornered," her fists tightened. "I remember it, so vividly… I was dying. There was nowhere to escape. And then…"

A sharp pang. A burst of flames. A sweeping attack. Shadows dissipating into thin air.

It wasn't an impossible tale to digest, but she failed to bring up a few things. Things that he had been quick to realize and point out afterwards.

" 'Regalia'?" She asked, receiving a nod from the boy. That's it!

"From what Vabel told us, a 'Regalia' is basically the materialization of one's soul. Hmm… I suppose it's just our soul itself given shape. And when we shatter that 'Regalia', our Persona comes from it," Arsene was willed back into Elucidator, which he held up in one hand to show to everyone. "This is my 'Regalia'. I'm apparently a swordsman at heart. What of you?"

She eyed the black sword a moment longer, eyes dropping to her open hand. "I… don't think I possess one."

"Then that is the problem you face," piped in the expert on all supernatural stuff. "Summoning a Persona without a 'Regalia' in this world is difficult, and limits the potential of your Persona. Still, it is an impressive feat for you to summon your Persona despite not having one."

So, all she needed to do was get her 'Regalia' first then, huh?

For him, it was the conviction to protect his friends and beat this game. Arsene answered to his call for power then.

She wondered, then, what would it be for Kizmel?

* * *

23rd December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 4, Rovia, City Plaza

"Cheers!"

"_CHEERS_!"

Mugs clacked against one another as the men of the guild heartily sang a merry tune and whatnot with one another. The game isn't capable of replicating the effects of getting drunk, yet they drank on with nary a care, simply content to play along and enjoy the taste of cold wine and beer.

Hmm… Interesting. Even despite knowing that alcoholism doesn't really exist within this world, they'd go so far as to _pretend_ as if it does, if only to add to the mood in the air. It certainly was a curious one.

"Cheers to _finally_ beating Nerius," Kirito deadpanned, to which everyone responded with their own, less-than-hearty cheers. He took a sip from his drink and beamed considerably. "Huh. This is actually pretty good. What is it?"

"Dunno'. Someone just told me that't was just some sorta' juice from ah, what's it called? Eh, I forget," shrugging to herself, Argo finished up her mug before setting it on the table. "Seriously, though, that last boss was a toughie. A _tree_ that could keep replenishing its health so long we don't cut its roots. Props to Kizmel for figuring it out."

"It was a shame that we had to slay such a magnificent creature, however. It was the protector of the forest, after all, so it leaves me with a heavy feeling to know that we had to do so," sighed the elf, to which she couldn't help but agree. Had there been some way to avoid slaying it, along with the other monsters, that would have been more preferable.

Though, judging by the odd look Kirito was giving her, he probably didn't really agree with that sentiment.

She wondered why was it that she hadn't joined the group of men out in the plaza, rather than be sitting here at a table outside of a café to celebrate Christmas, but she doubted she would be able to enjoy such rambunctious cheering and singing. This peace and quiet was a lot more preferable.

Christmas… Had things been different, Kirito would be celebrating it with his sister and parents. Asuna would be with her family as well, and so too would Argo. Yet here they are, in a different world altogether, fighting to survive another day. A pitiful thought.

She clasped her mug and stared into the red liquid. Not much progress had been made, if they were being honest. Kirito had aimed for at least the fifth floor before the month ends, though there just wasn't much that they could do, seeing that magic-wielding monsters still roamed the areas and would impede any traveller's path. They had to prioritize caution over speed.

'A shame that Kizmel isn't able to reawaken her Persona once more,' she thought, glancing to the Dark Elf who was answering a question about her people's cultures and delicacies. 'It was the same predicament that Miss Haru faced during _her_ time as a Phantom Thief. What can I do..?'

Granted, she had found her own conviction to go up against her father after finally seeing the truth beyond his façade. That her father had allowed himself to fall so low, to the point of using his own daughter for his selfish purposes, that he was willing to crush other companies to make himself even greater, had been the push she needed.

Kizmel wasn't that sort of person. She had devoted her entire life to protecting her queen, her people and her kingdom. Just what was there that they could use to give her that push..?

"…I honestly don't mind," Asuna's voice dragged her out of her thoughts, spotting the frown on her face. "Spending my time here rather than back home… I don't mind."

"I'm not sure if I can really agree with you on that," sighed their leader. "A simple night with food on the table, watch some shows together on the couch and just being together… I'm going to miss that."

"No kidding. Kinda' makes _me_ miss my mom too," groaned Argo with a genuine frustration. "What about you, Aa-chan? You seem to dislike it."

"I don't dislike Christmas, per se. It's just… well, I come from a prestigious family. A wealthy one, if you would, and it's hard to really enjoy a festivity as mundanely as you do. And don't get me wrong, it doesn't sound bad, it sounds much more fun than what I have to deal with. Boring parties with suitors and people you don't recognize…" She lets out a sigh, one that's been worn down throughout the years with chagrin and exhaustion. "I'm just so tired of it. At least here, I don't have to pretend to be 'Asuna, the rich and noble girl', but just Asuna."

"That, and because you decided to use your real name as your freaking identity, when you could just use another," scoffed the boy, which made the girl blush.

It was a slip-up, though, as Kizmel was quick to catch onto that. "Your name is not Kirito?"

"Ah—W-Well… no, no it isn't," he shook his head, forced to play his way out now. "The thing is, upon entering this world, we were required to use an alternate identity. One that would ensure our _real_ identity stays a secret when we return to our old world. For safety."

"Aah, I see. That's interesting to know—"

"Kazuto. Kazuto Kirigaya."

Vabel hadn't been the one to gasp when he so blatantly revealed his name like that. "W-What the hell?! Kii-bou, why'd you just—"

"I trust all of you enough," he said simply. "Not like I've much to lose in the long run, from telling my name to you. You don't need to say your names, of course, but I'm fine with putting mine on the table."

"Mmgr…" Argo seemed to hesitate somewhat, frustration at him so obviously breaking the 'vows of a gamer', as one might say. She eventually spoke in a muted, yet exasperated tone. "Tomo. Tomo Hosaka."

"That's… Um, oh! Asuna Yuki," she smiled afterwards. "So that's our real names."

"I see… It is a pleasure to meet you," chuckled the elf. "Although, I am to assume that you are to continue using your second names?"

"Right. There's no knowing what anyone might plan to do with the knowledge of our real names. For that, we need to keep using our second names," nodded the ravenette. "Oh, and just so you know, Vabel's name has always been that. Persona Vabel."

"That is me," the girl in question said.

"Well, enough of all this whatever! If anything, all of you should be paying me Cor for me to expose ma' real name!" She grabbed her empty mug with a furious swing of her arm and raised it into the air. "What matters now, more than ever, is try'na find a way for Kii-chan to get over her weird problems, beat the many more monsters in our path, and keep moving forwards until we can find Kayaba, kick him in the balls, and get out of this world! Who's with me?!"

It was the crude language she relied upon that drew several eyes upon them, though they quickly turned away when she'd all but leered at them. Vabel had to stifle a chuckle at how odd things have just turned out, knowing how ashamed Argo must have felt—for what reason, it could have been anyone's guess.

But as she raised her mug, and her teammates doing the same before they yelled 'Cheers!', she knew defeat was not an option. Things will be fine.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

_Sword Art Online _Season 3 Part 3 just came out today, _yes_! And it was great!

Granted, not as exaggerated as the novel had been, but it was still fun to watch!

Oh, and _Persona 5 Royal_! It was a blast to play, and I'm glad that I'd averted my eyes from every spoiler and the like. How do people end up accidentally reading any? It was nice to reexperience everything and the new additions—seriously, those Showtime attacks are just _beautiful_! I'd prefer Yusuke's and Ryuji's the most, to be honest (XD).

Anyways, onto a different note. As I've said in my other story, _The Administrator's Descent_, I've only just entered college. The place is nice, the people are nice, and the schedule isn't as tight as one would think. In fact, I have a feeling that I'd be able to write up some chapters in the few moments of freedom that I can get (or during class, lol. Bad idea, though).

Now then, I'm planning to write on a faster pace for this story. I thought it would be alright to do it in Progressive style, but given the fact that I intend to make use of all worlds and arcs into this story, making things a little faster would be much better. So if it's good or bad, you tell me, yeah?

Sorry that I hadn't updated in a long time, yeah? But I'm still going to finish this story, one way or another! Kizmel is gonna' get her Persona, other people are going to unlock theirs too, and we're gonna' get to the ending together! Let's get it!


	11. Faith

Interlude II: F**a**ith

* * *

To become blind is to lose one's way in navigating the tricky waters of deception, danger and death.

Within the floating castle of Aincrad, survival was nothing short of necessary; be it against the countless monsters that roamed the wilderness, or the mysterious invaders that weld completely unique powers called 'Shadows', or even the monsters wearing human skin. Another day to live is another day to fight, and that meant reaching the final floor no matter what.

All that Koharu Honda expected was playing a game and beating it alongside the others.

Unfortunately, however, the cards had been dealt and the players were all tossed into a deathly game that promised to kill them should they fail. And more than ever, she understood just how doomed all of them were.

In a moment of seemingly helplessness, the average person might just shut down and crumble away, crushed beneath the pressure. Why fight and die when you could just hide away and live long enough? It had been a compelling thought for the Beta Tester.

But as it was once said in the Völsunga saga, 'better to fight and fall than live without hope'. And Koharu, for all her weakness and the fear she possessed, chose to place faith in her skills and those around her. That, no matter how long it would take—a year, or two, or five—they would someday emerge victorious, and would return to the people they love.

She would keep such hope alive within her at all costs, even if some would call her a fool.

* * *

11th August 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

"Seriously, when are you going to learn that you're not helping anyone? Just leave the game already, loser."

"Nngh…"

Calm. Stay calm. She couldn't let him get to her, no matter what.

She was by no means an angry person, and she wouldn't let some cheap provocation like that get under her skin. She was strong! A strong girl with a heart of steel! There was absolutely no way that she was going to get angry!

"I know, right? Every time we're in some fight, she's the first to run away," someone sneered, ugly scowl on his face. "Seriously, what good are you if you can't fight?"

That was… a little hard to argue. Knives were her go-to weapon, but because it was the weapon with the shortest reach and didn't really deal much damage compared to swords, maces and spears, she was at a pretty huge disadvantage compared to other players.

She'd once entertained the thought of fighting with a ranged weapon, though she hadn't been able to get her hands on bows and the like—now that she thought about it, were there even any in this game? She'd wanted to try the spear, but it felt awkward in her hands, heavy and constantly weighty that she felt like she was going to lose her grip and trip.

"Oi, loser. You hear us?" Someone stopped her by the shoulder. She looked behind, to where some guy with _holy crap why is his hair green? _staring down at her with a smirk. "You know, if you'd want, you could always join us and make yourself useful. I'd bet even a weak player like _you_ could be of _some_ use."

"I…" She didn't want to stay calm, but she really didn't want to waste her time with this guy, or anyone else. "Look, I'm busy, so I'm sorry that I can't join you but—"

"Huuuh? Busy? You don't _look_ busy to me," snorted the player. "I mean, what are you even going to do? Waste more time gazing at the sky and picking flowers? Come on, you can do way better than that!"

Damn it. She really didn't want to stay here any longer. She had a mission! W-Well, not really a _mission_, per se, but there was something she had to do. And she seriously shouldn't be dilly-dallying! She has places to go! The new gear sitting in her equipment was calling for her, and she wanted to put it on so baaad!

He must have noticed her desire to refuse him, since his smirk turned into a frown. His grip over her shoulder grew tighter, and Koharu fought against the pain and the desire to punch his face in before she—

"Hey," a new voice cut the air, familiar enough that it even made her perk up in shock. "Why don't you do her a favour and leave her alone?"

All the bullies had basically parted like the Red Sea, and one of the most famous Beta Tester walked through them like Moses had, a very long time ago. Incredibly tall, he was, though whether that was his avatar or his actual height was up for debate. His eyes were sharp, his black hair long enough to reach his shoulder, his equipment looking much better than anyone else's.

The Beta Tester Kirito, had made his presence known.

"Y-You..!" Gasped her bully, unconsciously letting go of her shoulder in fear. "W-What do you want?"

"You're bothering her," he said simply, gesturing towards Koharu. "I'd rather you leave, or I'll have to make you."

It was an unveiled threat, one that he took seriously. Kirito was respected amongst their group for how good of a fighter he was. He hadn't lost a single duel thus far, and such skill showed in his ability to somehow _predict_ his opponents, make use of the game's motions and skills to outmanoeuvre them, and at a level much higher than anyone thus far.

This was the first floor, but already he was at level _five_! And everyone else were still sitting on the two or three threshold, herself included. It was crazy!

The glint of metal from the sheathe on his back was enough to get him to back off, taking a step back before spitting to the side. "Tch. Fine. Have it your way."

He shot her one final look, promising murder, before he eventually took his leave. One glare was all it took before the others dispersed as well, leaving her, Kirito, and a handful of curious bystanders.

His earlier expression melted away into a relieved one as he let out a sigh, his tone gentler than his previous one. "So, you okay?"

"I… yeah, I am," she nodded. "Thanks for that, by the way. Guy was being annoying and he wouldn't even listen to me, so you kind of saved me the trouble of fighting him to get him to leave me alone. Then again, I doubt I could have done much…"

She'd always known that fighting wasn't really her strong suit. In any other game, she'd be fine, no sweat! But now that she was in a VR world, utilizing her _body_ to fight, the fact that it was a virtually-constructed avatar aside, was a different experience altogether, and it made combat incredibly challenging.

So really, she focused her attention elsewhere. Rather than combat, she wanted to learn more about the game. Discover its secrets, little bugs and glitches that she could possibly utilize and make use of in the future—kinda' cheaty, she knew, but she'd always done it before in those old console games. It was just so much fun!

Thankfully, Kirito was unlike the other players, shaking his head. "It's fine. Even if you can't fight good, you could do other things to help."

He'd meant it in complete honesty, and such left a warm feeling in her gut as she smiled at the boy. "Right? I'm glad you understand!"

"Heh, I would know, considering how I'm friends with Argo," he chuckled at the thought of her. She was quick to recall Argo, the famed information broker who really delivered on her end in just about anything. "Seriously… She's the same as you. Don't tell her this, but fighting isn't just what she's good in. She pooled all her points into speed, so she isn't exactly the strongest fighter. Yet look at her, the best information broker there is."

"Heh, that's so true. Not everyone has to be good at fighting in a game," she nodded her agreement, happy to find someone that shared her views. She extended a hand to him, catching him by surprise. "Name's Koharu, by the way. Nice to meet you!"

It took him a while to recover before he eventually took her hand in his, smiling back. "Kirito. Same to you."

* * *

11th August 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Dungeons, Outside of the Boss Room

'Are people going to call me crazy for trying something like this? Yes they will. Are people going to be so shocked when they realize that you're actually right for once? Hopefully. Can I do this?' She needn't even answer that question before her response to herself was articulated. "Yes I can!"

Honestly, it has to be the craziest idea that she's ever had so far, and she wasn't even certain where this idea came from. Perhaps it was because other people made fun of her for being a weak fighter? Because she was supposedly _bad_ at the game?! Well, excuse them! She was a great gamer, she'll have them know!

Well, okay, maybe she was more on the _casual_ side of gamers. Not a speedrunner or pro or whatever, but she knew how to play smart when it came to it. She won't let them mock her for being bad or anything anymore! She'll show them!

Although, she wondered if this was really a good idea.

Koharu looked up, gulping slightly. The massive doors were yelling 'Boss!' at her, and she understood it well enough. Beyond these doors would be the dungeon boss's room, and the moment she stepped inside, she would immediately trigger the battle. There would be no escaping it.

It wasn't a bad idea, by any means, but if it involved her going in alone without a raid party to fight with? Yeah, you can tell why even she thought it was a poor idea. And if you died, you'd receive a penalty in the form of a deduction in your funds, and you'd lose some of your items. It was enough to give her pause and reconsider her options.

She _could_ go back and wait for the other players to form a new raid party. This time, she would join the group and fight alongside everyone else, just as any good player would—

Only for her to slap both cheeks with her hands. No! She can't back down now! Only she can be the one to test this hypothesis of hers, and she wouldn't let anyone else take it from her!

Honestly, it was just a shower thought (seriously, she'd gotten this idea while taking a shower the previous day. She'd been so excited at trying it out that she'd accidentally slip on some soap and fallen on her bum) that she really wanted to test out. It would be so cool if it works!

Nodding to herself, Koharu tapped into her equipment and slipped on the dark-coloured coat, hiding her features and hair from the world. She'd made sure to spend some of her money on lightweight equipment and dye her clothes with dark colours. It was an insane thought that she was absolutely certain was totally feasible!

She looked back to the doors, took in a deep breath, counted up to fifty sheep because her nerves were pretty frazzled, and gently pushed the doors open.

A tiny crack of light slipped into the room, the gap between the doors just barely enough for a person to squeeze themselves through. A rather dumb choice of action, really, since most people would just barge in and rush towards the boss. Not like it does anything good, really; they lose the element of surprise immediately once the room is triggered, and the battle would begin right away.

What Koharu was after was the complete opposite; she'd gambled on the possibility that, maybe, just _maybe_, there was a chance that she could bypass the sensors in the room? That she could somehow enter the room without triggering the boss battle?

It sounded like a crazy notion, but hear her out!

Boss rooms are designed with sensors that track the presence and movement of players. It need only be one person before it triggers the monsters and the boss, thus initiating the battle. The lights on the walls would get lit, the minions would spawn to assist their master, and therein starts the fight.

But there was one thing that she'd come to realize during her shower yesterday; what if, and this was a crazy idea, she could basically _sneak_ into the room without alerting the boss of her presence?

It sounded impossible, but the game was a sandbox in its own right. Granted, it didn't give its players the ability to build and construct like other games, but there was still a multitude of things that you could do in this game by smartly utilizing every aspect of the game and working around the mechanics.

It certainly sounded insane on paper, and even crazier to pull off in theory. But Koharu was a trier; she wouldn't give up before she'd even give it a shot, no matter how ridiculous it may have seemed!

Fortunately, Koharu had made use of her «Hide» skill quite a lot of times, particularly with other players and monsters. And for this experiment to work, she needed her «Hide» skill, which was at a pretty high level.

The «Hide» skill worked in a way that it would erase the user's presence from all the entities around, said skill being affected by factors like clothes' colours, light intensity and body motion. To level it up, one would have to extensively use it and manage to keep it activated from near-deactivation. And she'd done a pretty good job in that regard.

She'd learnt of a nifty trick to level it up even quicker, and that was to purposely get _closer_ to an entity. The «Hide Rate», which determines just how well-hidden the user is, would get low from that way. All she would have to do, then, is keep it as low as possible for as long as possible, and escape unseen. This amplified the amount of skill experience she received by _three_ times, allowing her to easily pour experience into that skill.

So right now, as she activated «Hide» and sneaked into the room, making sure to gently shut the door behind her… the room remained dark.

'I-It works!' She wanted to squeal in excitement but restrained herself at the last moment, knowing that, to do so, would utterly shatter her cover and trigger Illfang. 'O-Okay, now let's try out more things…'

Illfang sat on a throne, supposedly sleeping, in the far end of the dungeon room. Were this in a normal scenario, he'd get up from his throne and charge towards the players, Ruin Kobold Sentinels right on his tail. Yet here he was, still unmoving as her presence was not registered by the room.

She was still invisible, which was great! That meant her initial hypothesis was indeed correct; boss rooms don't activate when the players step into the room. Well, they _do_, but it would have to be in an entirely palpable manner that the room would be forced to recognize them and trigger Illfang.

Instead, if people moved into the room slowly and carefully, they could basically keep themselves hidden until the very last minute. Maybe do a sneak attack? Ooh, that sounded so cool! Would that actually be plausible?

'Okay, onto my next hypothesis,' she nodded to herself, pulling her hood tightly over her head as she crouched, moving towards the boss slowly. 'How close can I get to Illfang? Would my cover get blown? I need to find out!'

No one would willingly approach a sleeping monster, especially one that would be more than happy to hack you in half with his gigantic axe, but she was a special girl with special ideas. Sue her!

Koharu kept her centre of gravity low and the sound of her footsteps even quieter, to the point that she could barely hear it. The «Hide» is designed in a way that it would hide the player's cursor and appearance, basically making her invisible. But, to some extent, it could also mask the sounds she makes, like her breathing and footsteps. It's an incredibly handy skill to have.

Ten meters became five. Five became four. Four became two.

Koharu gulped.

It was extremely close, now, the entirety of his body swallowing her vision as she approached it even more. It was snoring, a deep and rumbling sound that belonged more to an old man than it did a monster. Koharu froze when its arm rose into the air..! Scratched its belly, and then hang limp by its side once more.

Five seconds. She waited before she approached it again.

Her «Hide Rate» was still going strong. _Really_ strong, actually. Haven't dipped below 75%, which was really good!

She moved closer. And closer. Just a meter away, or a foot, she couldn't really tell. She gulped, deciding to test things out by moving towards his lower limb. She didn't dare try and touch him, in the case that it would get him to wake up.

Five seconds. Four. Three. Two. One.

Koharu reached its foot, right in her nose. It was massive, red in colour. The plantar surface was a soft peach. The nails were sharp, ivory-white. And it was _in her face_.

She clamped down on the urge to scream. She was practically breathing against it through her nose, yet Illfang had not twitched nor opened its eyes to rain down wrath upon him. She was literally _in front of him_!

T-This was insane! S-She'd actually managed to get so close to the boss! There was just no way—it actually _worked_!

The nerdy part of her brain was already hyperventilating at all the possibilities that this presented! If players snuck into the room one by one, carefully and slowly, they could technically just pull off a surprise attack on the boss! Illfang wouldn't know how to react to the sudden attack, and that momentary lapse in action would give them all the opportunity to deal as much damage to him!

Oh, wait a minute, what if they tried to steal his weapons? Sure, it sounded so insane, but even this alone had been insane. They could take it away from him, and he would have no weapon to use! It would practically render him useless!

But wouldn't that force him to rely on his body next? Would he change from sword and axe-based «Sword Skills» to using martial arts? C-Could that actually happen?

"Eeeh! That would be so cool!" She cried out, overjoyed. God, this was so exciting! She couldn't believe she'd—"Eh?"

Koharu had done something pretty insane today, and she'd admit that she hadn't seen just about everything. She was proven right in that regard when Illfang, now _awake_, hadn't immediately attacked her but was actually _staring_ at her. Frantic green met shellshocked red.

The silent lasted for a good minute before she eventually broke it.

"Umm… hi?"

***Ghrroaa!***

Well, that calls it. Time to make like a hedgehog and roll out!

Koharu's terrified screams bounced off the walls of the boss room as she raced for the exit, one angry red monster and its followers right on her trail.

* * *

8th January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 4, Dungeons

On the day that Akihiko Kayaba had officially changed the game, he'd summoned all players—the strong, the weak, none were spared from the forced teleportation—to the first city of Aincrad. To where everyone's mask were ripped from their selves, exposing their true faces to the people around them and forced to adapt to an even more cutthroat world.

Now, it would be highly unfair to assume _everyone_ had changed greatly following the event. Such isn't the case at all.

Sure, those who seemed to see the bigger picture and, in a way, be directly involved in it understood the heavy implications of this forced happenstance, promising to keep moving forwards and work towards changing the situation at hand.

Others were… well, they're stubborn. Those who refuse to cooperate despite the situation at hand were ultimately doomed to fail again and again, and wasn't that just the worst?

And of course, there are those who'd been woefully unprepared for literally everything; the game, the weird stuff, the fact that they could die… well, the fact that the game will literally kill anyone IRL if they die in-game was not lost on them. But not truly understood—or at the very least—_felt_ the weight behind the situation.

And this brings us to our next character of focus. A young girl who, most certainly, had been one of the lucky few who were part of the Beta Test phase of the game. A girl who, quite frankly, was actually pretty good at the game.

A keen understanding on how the game worked and an even better understanding on making preparations was key to survival, and the girl had succeeded in both parts quite well. In fact, one would think that she was one of the best players, if not for one thing…

"Oh nooo… Where is this?" She looked to her left. A corridor. She then looked to her right. _Another corridor_. "Noo..! Did I seriously get lost?!"

Woe is she as she's left stranded in the middle of the dungeons, exasperated, tired and so sick of seeing the same brick wall for the umpteenth time.

Koharu Honda was _not_ having a good time. She'd thought that, after making the rather risky decision of following a certain fellow Beta Tester's footsteps and playing solo, she'd have done a pretty good job. And she did! For the first few weeks, she'd managed quite fine in terms of grinding some Exp. points, getting her hands on good equipment and not having to worry about rations in the long run.

Sure, it was risky to play solo now that 'Sword Art Online' had become a death game, but she couldn't help it. The pros outweighed the cons, and she found herself working much better on her own anyways. She wouldn't need to burden herself with looking out for others and vice versa.

Unfortunately, however, there was an itsy-bitsy little problem that she kind of forgot to take into consideration. One that most certainly wouldn't have been something to worry about if only she had a friend to help her out.

Her poor sense of direction.

Hey! It's not her fault, alright? A lot of places, dungeons more notably, tend to have repeating patterns that end up making the entire place looking the same, to the point that she'd end up forgetting where was the entrance and whatnot. Sure, she had the minimap to help, but she'd somehow even managed to mess up _despite_ having it.

Great. Just great! She was stuck in some dungeon with literally no help in sight. What was she supposed to do?

"You ruined big time, Koharu…" Sighed the girl as she slid down the wall, pulling her knees to her chest as she stared down a random corridor. "And just when you think going solo's the answer, _he_ ends up getting a party too…"

It was not all that surprising to know that the famed summoner swordsman (people call him that considering his skill with the blade and his strange, yet cool ability of summoning a _phantom_) was one of, if not _the_ best player there is. Accompanying him were curious individuals, all of whom exceeded him in terms of popularity, and whom she secretly admired for how cool each of them were.

Asuna, the one who many believed was his first friend here in this world. Argo, the infamous information broker who had spies in every corner of Aincrad and was also another Beta Tester. Vabel, a mysterious girl with seemingly overpowered gear from the start. And Kizmel, who was an _NPC_!

Every girl was amazing, no doubt, but none could compare to their leader himself. Kirito, whom she hadn't the opportunity to really meet face-to-face before, yet someone who seriously knew his stuff. She was just glad that he was on their side, and not someone who was out for their blood. In fact, she laughed at the thought. It's not like there were a bunch of sickos amongst them who would actively hunt and kill players and form some sort of evil organization for the sake of just that. Totally.

*Trf… Trf… Trf…*

"Huh?"

Something caught her ear, and though she'd consider it to be the movement of some stray mob, it sounded too… uniform. It had a steady beat to it, like the rhythm of a drum played at a parade as countless people marched down the road. Wait a minute, this sound… it sounded _exactly_ like marching.

On one hand, Koharu would prefer to wait things out and try aimless wandering once more to find her way out of here. On the other hand, curiosity ordered her to go and check the source of the sound.

"Well, not like there's anything to lose from this," she shrugged to herself, pulling herself to her feet with a small 'oomph'. Patting down her skirt, she looked around for any sign of mobs before looking back to the corridor from where the steady sounds were coming from. "Right. Time to check it out. Oh, right! Don't forget."

By now, it's become a habit to quickly activate her «Hide» skill. She put on a dark cloak, switched out her gear for something lighter and dark-coloured, and turned on her skill.

Koharu walked at a pace that ensured her footsteps wouldn't ring across the dungeon walls, though she had a feeling they'd only get drowned out in the sounds of the marching, which was growing increasingly louder the closer she got to the source. Was it an enemy? Other players? Oh! Maybe they were going to fight the dungeon boss again? That would be nice.

From what she'd heard, the players' first attempt at defeating Wythege the Hippocampus had been a shameful defeat. The party of humans were split between Kibaou and Lind, both of whom were unwilling to cooperate with one another against the common foe. Their defeat had been inevitable, though it was a small blessing that no one had been slain.

It was a shame that they'd ran ahead instead of calling all the strong players together. She would have totally joined the fight (even if she wasn't that strong to begin with, even now)! And she knew that the player Kirito would have done the same as well, though he hadn't been informed. Kibaou was probably still salty towards him for wounding his pride, she bet.

The boy was a Beta Tester whom she particularly admired, not simply because of his powers or because he helped her out that day, but because of his natural charisma and ability to adapt to the situation. Not something that she'd seen other Beta Testers displayed in a fight, making him one of the most respectable person in her list.

So it wouldn't exactly be too surprising if they'd decided to try the boss fight a second time. In fact, she had a good feeling that that was exactly what they were—

'What the _what_?!' Koharu abruptly stopped, jaw dropping as her back slapped against the wall. 'D-D-Dark Elves?!'

And so many of them! All of them organized not like a tribal group or a drove, but an actual _army_. A full squad of armoured men and women with swords, spears and shields. A darker shade of skin, unique hair colours and pointy ears were indication of their different status than being human, and all of them wore looks of determination as they marched onwards.

That hadn't been the only surprise, however. For when she looked to the fore of the massive group of fifty or sixty knights…

"So the guardian Wythege relies more on attacks that _crush_ its enemies like lunging and body-slamming? Interesting…"

"I'd prefer the term 'deadly', compared to 'interesting', but sure. Why not?"

The famed summoner swordsman, Kirito, was right there, conversing with some scary-looking Dark Elf who looked so concentrated. He had a scar running over his left eye that made him look terrifying. Behind them, his group of close friends were simply talking with one another about stuff that she couldn't really hear since she was so far behind.

Koharu was certain that the group wouldn't really attack her if they'd realized she was following them, and yet…

Plan in mind, and keeping a safe distance between herself and the massive army, Koharu followed the group.

* * *

NPC's, as she and basically everyone else know, aren't real players. They're just in-game entities that wear the looks of a person, but are just computer-generated intelligence with given instructions.

Many were quest-givers. Many were enemies. Many were temporary allies.

She'd thought that was how things would stay, but Aincrad had changed since that fateful day. A new group of monsters had shown up, based on Argo's intel. Nothing was the same anymore, yet she hoped that maybe somethings could stay the same.

_Nothing did_.

She watched with disbelief and awe as Kirito actually _talked_ to the elf leader. _Talked_! Like holding a conversation with another person who could think, feel and choose.

Lord Yofilis, as he called him, was a Dark Elf, which naturally made him an NPC. Yet the amount of intelligence that he displayed was unsettlingly _realistic_. It almost made her consider him to be some player in disguise, yet she knew such couldn't possibly be the case.

She looked to Kizmel next. Popular amongst the players because she was an NPC who'd actually shown up to join the summoner swordsman's party, she too was capable of so many advanced things that she wasn't sure was the game's internal system pulling it off, or because it was just some mystical power. But that sounded absurd!

But no, ladies and gentlemen. That hadn't been the cream of the crop. No, no, no! That reward goes to—

Koharu gasped, green orbs wide with disbelief. 'I can't believe it! T-They're actually going to fight the boss together!'

What was going on? How was this even happening? NPC's and players _working together_? She'd believe it if this was part of the quest, b-but..! This was way beyond normalcy! Everything just felt _waaay_ too natural!

There was no quest indicator. No specific commands. No _nothing_. Just an elven noble promising to fight alongside Kirito and his group against Wythege. When asked that he stay out of the fight, he placated his men by telling that it was his duty to do battle with them. What kind of noble would he be, then, were he to hide away?i

And that particular bit shocked her. This sort of ability to think for themselves, feel and _choose_ was incredible. It was so different from the way the NPC's functioned just a few months ago, or even during the beta phase. They're just so… so _alive_!

Koharu wanted to give Kayaba the benefit of the doubt. Madman as he was, he was still a computer genius, so she had half a feeling to assume that he'd managed to tweak personalization of the NPC's to be much more since its beta days, but that couldn't be it! These elves were talking like _normal people_. So fluent and natural, it made her wonder just what was going on.

So many questions, but no answer.

Yofilis said something to Kirito before speaking to his men, a motivational speech that gave them the strength to fight with him in the upcoming battle. The humans looked particularly impressed by his natural charisma, enough so that it raised the army's morale just through words. A true leader, he was.

Koharu swallowed audibly, watching as the ravenette and the noble pushed the doors open together. They nodded together before, as one, yelling as they ran in. The army roared as they charged into the room. The room was becoming illuminated by the lights on the walls. She followed after them, her «Hide» skill ensuring her invisibility as she quickly slinked away from them and towards a corner.

She thanked her inner nerd. She'd always loved thinking up problems and colourful methods to solving them. Never were they standard or logical; they had to be insane, crazy, reckless.

And in 'Sword Art Online', even with her life on the line, Koharu wasn't willing to do any worse.

She'd pick up so many nifty tricks during her solo days of risky experimentation, but to this day, she was proud of her discovery of the «Hide» skill's potential. It had helped her observe Illfang during her first days, realize that it had a different weapon than the beta, and theorize on its fighting pattern.

Call her lame, but she prided herself for being a pretty crafty Beta Tester—if not on the level of The Rat, then at least enough to put her on a different level compared to the average player. Sure, she wasn't the best fighter by any means, but she knew how to play smart. Not hard.

…O-Oh, right. She never did tell anyone about this, did she? Err, well, she had been _kinda'_ nervous to share it with anyone else. M-Maybe someday! And then, it would be great material for… bragging rights?

That aside, by no means was she planning to take on _any_ boss on her own! That'd be suicidal! No, she'd only use this method to determine what was the next boss of the dungeon, to check out the boss room for any traps or gimmicks that might activate during the fight, and to calculate any escape routes or possible hiding spots.

It sounded silly on paper, but in a real fight? Sometimes, a tactical escape was just too necessary to live another day, and fight another day.

'Then again, all of that means nothing since everyone's just charging in to fight Wythege already, so there's that,' she'd wanted to roll her eyes, but she'd been more than curious to watch as the massive hippopotamus rose up with a bellowing cry, the fighters all dispersing in a uniform fashion that clearly showed their experience. Yofilis was shouting out orders, everyone unfailingly following them. 'Ooh, I can't wait! I'm definitely watching this fight!'

Wythege was certainly a foe to watch out for. Its legs were little stubs that managed to look as thick as logs. Its hide was covered with thick plates, enough so that it made striking it almost impossible. It was massive, and mass-y (if that was even a word, she didn't know), with fat and muscles that weighed it down a bunch. Truly, it was the slowest boss she'd ever seen in a long while.

The army of eighty or so Dark Elves fought viciously, most of them prioritizing bows over swords as they sniped from a distance. The human fighters were the ones that closed in on Wythege, Kirito in particular diverting its attention from everyone else by using his magic powers to draw aggro onto himself.

A dangerous thing, she would admit. Unlike in-game tanks, who make it their mission to soak up the damage in their team's stead by wearing heavy armour and maximizing defense, Kirito was still more of an offense-oriented fighter. He wasn't built for taking damage.

Or so she thought.

Koharu gasped as the creature lifted its fore legs and _stomped_ down on the boy, who weld both swords (_two_ swords! That should have been physically and game-realistically impossible!) in a cross block before pushing back, aided by the black demon that accompanies him in his fights. And she couldn't help but gasp a second time.

_Arsene_. She'd heard people speak its name once, and to lay eyes upon the gentleman demon… gentle_demon_? Well, it was a sight to behold.

Jet-black wings. Tall top hat. Red coat, pants and boots with blade-like heels. A mask for a face with a massive, bright red grin that sent chills down her spine.

His cackling could be heard even from her hiding spot. It was loud, _booming_, sadistic. So this was Kirito's 'Persona'. The demonic thief Arsene.

She beheld the sight as Kirito, with a roar of his own, willed more strength into his arms to knock the boss back. The boss was staggered thanks in part to its weight, and Kirito wasted no time to dish out even more spectacular damage; Arsene's ignited claw tears into the enemy's flesh, drawing out a pained cry as arrows rained down upon its body.

'How does he do it?!' She couldn't help but fangirl, even now, mind going through a multitude of thoughts. 'Is Arsene a separate entity that moves on its own accord? Does it take orders from Kirito? Does it have some sort of special skills of its own? Oooh, I want to know so bad..!'

Though he was certainly the main attraction, his teammates weren't half bad either. She had to stop herself from swooning at the sight of Asuna's incredibly swordplay, moving from left to right at speeds unimaginable to stab and poke at unprotected regions to whittle down its health, Vabel right by her side. Their elven friend was physically capable as well, able to take the hits with her shield and strike back when necessary.

"Ready the spearmen!" Shouted the fencer, backflipping into the air to avoid a tackle, at which point countless elves prepared themselves in a line and brandished their lances. "Kirito-kun!"

"Yeah, I hear you! Arsene!" Fire burned around him as the demon materialized, its claws burning with powerful energy.

"**Hrah!"** The demon slashed up in a vertical swipe, akin to a «Vertical», yet with both claws that burnt with fire, it was awing to see just how much health had been depleted from that single attack. The force behind the attack was enough to send it toppling onto its side, a tremor caused from its weighty impact.

"NOW!"

"_Hroaaah!_"

Their weapons glowed bright yellow as they unleashed a line of «Sonic Charge», all of them lunging at the beasts and stabbing it in its exposed flank—aha! So Wythege's weak spot was in its underbelly! That made perfect sense! Would other monsters similar to Wythege have that sort of weakness as well?

She'd become mesmerized the longer she watched them fight, from how synchronized the Dark Elves had been to how incredibly calculated each attack was. She'd wondered just how was it that they were able to work so well together despite their difference in race, considering how even the human side failed spectacularly, eventually chalking it up to a great amount of trust solidarity amongst one another.

The battle lasted a full forty minutes, much shorter than she'd thought. She could have said it was a hard-fought battle, yet with the summoner swordsman present, they really hadn't much problem to begin with. Victory was absolute, and they'd won with no casualties. The elves roared in a cacophony.

"Amazing…" She muttered quietly, stars in her eyes. So _this_ was the power of an actual Beta Tester… that was amazing. Everything had gone so smoothly, it was shocking to see the once-was solo player working so well with a group. 'Guess everybody changes every now and then.'

With the battle over, the elven noble by the name of Yofilis bade the human and his companions farewell, nodding to the Dark Elf that accompanied the group. He and his men turned the other way, marching back home and with the intent of returning to their castle. Kirito pressed on, his group right with him, and Koharu quick to trail behind them at a distance.

* * *

She couldn't believe it! Koharu had actually gotten a backseat view to a boss battle with the famed party in it!

It was a bit annoying to know that she wasn't able to join the first boss battle that day, all because she had been grinding on some Little Nepenthes in the forest. Had she showed up during the conference, she might have had the chance to party up with him and watch him fight!

She could have witnessed the moment when he gained his new power! Uurgh! What a lost opportunity!

Even so, it was a good thing that she'd followed them into the boss room. She hadn't fought alongside them, sure, but she'd gotten the chance to watch the famed summoner swordsman in action. It was just so good!

Her fellow Beta Tester was just so powerful… He'd gained such a power on one fateful day, when everyone were close to being defeated by Illfang. Well, he'd only awakened to the power once he realized that his teammates were in grave danger, and that gave him the push he needed.

His teammates in danger… Was that the necessary key to unlocking the power of the Persona in her too? She… She wants to fight too. She wants to become stronger! She can't just sit back and let everyone fight in her stead while she hides away!

She knew that she was going against everything that she believed in. Who needed to fight to survive? But there would come a time when she would truly be unable to do anything but fight her way out. And when that day comes, she—

"Okay! Whoever it is that's following us, _stop_!"

"Eep!"

S-She'd been discovered? How?! Her «Hide» skill was incredibly high! There was just no way that anyone would have noticed her! Unless..! No!

The «Hide» skill may be powerful, but every boon must have a vice. Just as Newton states in his third law, 'For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction'. And in this case, the «Search» skill was the sword needed to pierce through the powerful shield that is the «Hide»!

That can't be it! W-Was Kirito's «Search» skill just that good?!

So shocked she had been at having her cover blown that she'd taken a few steps back, unaware of the slight gap in between the concrete as the heel of her boot slipped into the little space, inevitably tripping the girl as she cartwheeled her arms in the air before wonderfully falling backwards onto her bum, her skill immediately cancelling.

Four out of five of them stared at her in surprise, while their leader watched her with an unimpressed, if only slightly wary gaze, one eyebrow raised and arms crossed.

Well, geez! Talk about a failed first impression!

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

This chapter is inspired by _Orange_ by **LeviTamm**. Go check it out! Such a cool take on the story.

I don't know. The thought of making Koharu from _Sword Art Online: Integral Factor_ a smart Bets Tester just seems like a fun idea. Why not, am I right?


	12. Forwards March

Chapter VIII: F**o**rwar**d**s Ma**r**ch

* * *

1st January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 4, Yofel Castle

Kizmel was a knight whose duty was to her queen. She had fought in many battles since she was taken in as a squire, climbing the ranks as a highly-respected knight amongst the order.

Perhaps one would say that she was talented, that she had been born into the role from the start; that it was her _destiny_. And to that, she would have to object.

Born into a common family household with a younger sister, one whom died quite young, she had bled and cried as she worked harder than her peers. She'd trained with the sword from day to night, she'd made sure she kept up with her studies, and she repetitively tested her limits to see just how far she could go—and how much _further_ she could go, and even beyond.

Her peers saw her as a role model, a real knight. She hadn't allowed such compliments to cloud her mind, of course, for she knew that pride begot error for many—and so, she worked harder than anyone else, and always reminded herself to remember her lowly beginnings all the same.

In fact, her diligence and determination had won the attention of Her Majesty once, and she'd offered her a place by her side as her most trusted consort.

Kizmel couldn't believe it, she was stupefied! On one simple day of her training, when she'd bested her opponent who allowed himself to get cocky because of his superior height and reach, she hadn't expected Her Majesty to have been watching at the time. She'd been too focused on fighting her opponent, and then..! Well, she didn't think Her Majesty would reach out to her! It was unexpected!

And so she trained. Promised to the queen that she would _not_ become her attendant simply by her favour, but that she would win her place in the proper manner. By climbing the ranks and earning said position by her. And to this day, the memories of her knighting ceremony would forever remain with her for as long as she breathed.

So really, there really was no reason for her to be anxious from anyone or anything. She'd fought countless monsters, did battle with the Forest Elves, survived the fall, escaped from the Shadows, presented herself before her Queen to be knighted and many more. What else could have possibly unnerved her?

The eyes of the elder noble, with one long scar running vertically upon his left eye, certainly did the trick.

Standing before _the_ Leyshren Zed Yofilis was a trying task, if only because of how regal he carried himself and the aura of nobility that he exuded. It wasn't vanity, nor was it a means of intimidating them. He simply carried himself with such dignity and poise that it naturally made her feel small.

Truth be told, she'd only ever met her superior once, and that was during her earlier days training as a rookie knight. It was just her luck that the older elf had been their drill sergeant, and he'd been incredibly strict—she wouldn't dare forget those days of hardship under his guidance. He garnered everyone's respect and fear, enough to leave even the most disciplined of knights gulping in his presence. In fact, it made her wonder if her companions felt the same way… only to gape a moment later.

"You'd think they'd at least put aside their pride for the sake of working together, but _nooo_! They mess that up by getting into an argument throughout the fight, and they wouldn't even tell us that they found the dungeon! The ego, I tell you."

"Agreed. I suppose it's a small blessing that no one was sacrificed in the fight."

She'd seen Kirito do a lot of crazy things, from summoning a monstrous creature to fight by his side (just as she should be capable of doing the same) and fighting with a sort of viciousness that only a true fighter could truly make authentic. Yet here he is now, blowing her expectations out of proportions as he stared Lord Yofilis _in the eyes_ and talked to him so _casually_.

And one thing she'd never have thought she'd live to see was witnessing someone converse with Lord Yofilis like one would talk with their _friend_.

He was a man of nobility, of honour and prestige! He tolerated no insubordination and demanded proper treatment from those above and below him. It was why he was such a respected individual amongst their group, his name being quite famous. In fact, he had been deemed the 'Lion Viscount' for his achievements and personality.

And here was Kirito! Completely unfazed as he blabbed and complained about the foolish humans, most notably Lind and Kibaou, really, to the elf! With such a lack of tact! And Yofilis didn't even look mad whatsoever!

'Makes sense,' she thought to herself, watching the boy as he recounted their failed battle against Wythege the Hippocampus with a bit of chagrin in his tone—understandable, considering that two different human parties had started arguing midway through the battle, botching the entire thing and forcing everyone to leave the dungeon. 'He'd fought much worse before this. It would stand with reason that he's developed a natural affinity for staying calm.'

Many would agree with her sentiment. Kirito would argue that he was a little too annoyed to really care at the moment, otherwise he would have stayed his tongue around the elf. And Yofilis enjoyed the rather unrestrained speech, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone.

After a while of explaining, the older Dark Elf took some time to digest the information before looking away from the group, speaking to one of his subordinates who had been on standby the entire time. She didn't really catch any part of the conversation before the soldier nodded and rushed off to who-knows-where.

"It will take time before the human army can replenish their strengths following their failed attempt," said Lord Yofilis, his expression tempered. "What are your plans?"

"No other choice but ta' take on the boss on our own," shrugged Argo. Even so, there was a small bead of sweat on her brow; a clear indication that she wasn't completely unperturbed by the thought. "We can't exactly just sit around and do nothin'. Might as well take the fight to em' on our own."

"A reasonably dangerous task, but we work well together. And we have a Persona user with us," Vabel gestured to the other ravenette. "I am certain we will be fine."

They wouldn't be. And she wasn't the only one that understood that, but simply saying that they _would_ be fine was a way to trick themselves into being brave. An admittedly smart way of motivation, if a little roundabout.

"Is that so..?" The look on his face signified concern, a quiet displeasure that amounted to something that she couldn't exactly understood. "Sir Kirito. The truth is, I've called you here because we have a request. One that bothers me somewhat…"

"A request, eh? What about?" His question was just in time as the soldier from earlier to come into the room, a letter in his hand that he passes to the boy. "Huh. It's a letter."

"From the Forest Elves," that was enough to draw Kizmel's eyes to the noble, her teammates sporting their own looks of shock. Lord Yofilis's expression was hard as stood in his place with a worried frown on his face. "In truth, we received a messenger from Castle Galey, controlled by Lord Galeliah. The young lad passed a few moments later, the wounds he received being too much that treating him was out of the option."

There was no joy. No satisfaction. Even though he was an enemy, Lord Yofilis took no pleasure in seeing a Forest Elf die. He'd come to accept his duty as simply that; duty, and not a means of gloating.

Death on the battlefield was an honour in itself, and he wouldn't dare mock any man who've breathed their last. She admired that about him.

"On his person was a letter, one that he instructed us to read immediately in his dying breaths. It was a distress signal, a call for help from the castle," his fist tightened immediately. "Grim news. Their castle was besieged by other Shadows, and that was three days ago…"

Three days ago, Castle Galey was assaulted by Shadows..? Kizmel felt her heart grow cold. That should have been downright impossible. Sir Galeliah a powerful Forest Elf who'd fought in countless wars, and the strategic location of his castle should have made it impossible to siege. She'd studied the few tactics used by the Forest Elves to assault their fort, and none had been successful. And yet, the Shadows had succeeded?

Just how dangerous are these things? Why are they attacking all their settlements and defenses? What did they hope to achieve?

A minor part of her feared of what've become of her queen and the castle, but she pushed it aside in favour of focusing on the present, just as Kirito began speaking again.

"So you intend to respond to it?" His question was met with a nod. "And let me guess, you want us to come along."

"Indeed. Your group has the most experience with these creatures, even if only a brief encounter. From what I've heard of my sources, Lady Vabel," the girl in question perked up. "Seems to be an expert in the field. Her assistance would be of much use."

"That's true. If anyone here's got the knowin's on Shadows and Personas, it's her," nodded Argo. "So what, you want us to go to Castle Galey for ya'? We'll do it, but it won't be free."

"Argo!" Gasped Asuna beside her, a mortified look on her face. "Their people are in danger. You can't be expecting payment for everything!"

"We're not running low on funds and our equipment ain't bad, I'll give you that, but if I'm expected to stick my neck out without any form of compensation, sorry to break it to ya', but that ain't happenin'," she shook her head. It was blunt, rude, but necessary. "We've got a lot of problems of our own to deal with, after all."

"But in this case, our objectives align," their leader interjected. Onyx eyes watched the elven noble with what one might assume to be a hostile glance, but really was a look of understanding. "We're still planning to move on to the next floor, after all, and we can't do that unless we take Wythege out. Unfortunately, our armies are… well, out of commission at the moment because of Lind's and Kibaou's idiocy. We could wait for them, but it would take too long. Wouldn't you agree?"

His tone was suggestive, something that Kizmel caught on and found herself surprised by, realization dawning on her. Wait, he wasn't actually suggesting—

"True. Which is why I intend to join you, for the time being," his words drew gasps from the girls, Vabel simply going wide-eyed while Kirito nodded. "My men and I will participate in the battle against the guardian Wythege. Afterwards, we will march for Castle Galey first. I can prepare the troops in two days. Is that acceptable?"

His words got the black-haired boy to grin, looking pleased. "Heh, what I'd kill for our people to learn a bit more discipline from you," and Kizmel gaped at the sight of Lord Yofilis_ smiling_ at the compliment. "Well, alright. If you're offering, it would be wrong of us to reject, huh? Thank you, Lord Yofilis," Kirito bowed, his friends and herself replicating the gesture. How curious. It was a means of showing gratitude and respect, and she felt humble just doing it. "We'll update you in case anything comes up. Until then, Lord Yofilis."

* * *

Some last words were exchanged before all of them eventually returned to their rooms, then choosing to hang out in Kirito's room simply because—and he didn't look any bothered by it, having surrendered to such.

She spared a look at her teammates, who looked tired. Understandable. They'd had to explain the entire ordeal to Lord Yofilis, after all, and they'd really looked forward to just getting a break for today.

"Well, that's over with," groaned Kirito as he fell back onto his bed, the mattress creaking beneath his weight. "So we've successfully roped Yofilis into joining us for the upcoming battle. That's good. We can't afford to waste any more time than we already have."

"No kiddin'. We could already be on floor five had those idiots called for us," scoffed Argo. "Urgh. I'll never understand those blockheads."

"Better not stereotype every man with them as their stand-ins. I'm certain not all men are like them," sighed the boy. "I guess Lind is the better of the two, but they need to put aside their egos in a fight. Cooperation and coordination matters if you want to win a fight and live, after all."

Wise words. He'd quipped them in a moment of chagrin, yet she felt enlightened to know that their leader was such a wise person, despite his youth.

"A new year…" Muttered Vabel in the moment of silence. Her eyes were focused on the window, which greeted them with the sight of blue skies and bright light. Green danced in the wind, the trunk of trees like little towers.

The mention of such was enough to erase the earlier joyous mood, everyone frowning as they thought of today. The first day of the first month of an entirely new year.

And Kizmel had actually just remembered as well. Today really was the first day of the year, something that she hadn't actually took notice of, given the unpleasant circumstances and whatnot—the peace ceremony being interrupted, her almost dying, the inability to communicate with the castle…

She dispelled the thought, instead thinking back to what Kirito had told her. Since joining his party, they'd gotten to learn of one another and their customs, and she was equally perplexed by his as he was with hers.

In his world, they would usually spend their time with family and making the trip to local shrines to make prayers for a bountiful year. Food will be served, well wishes would be exchanged and the day would typically be a comfortable one. And of course, there would be festivities to celebrate the new beginning, as there ever is.

It sounded so simple, nothing as extravagant as their own elven customs. She remembered the days from when she was but a child, watching alongside her now-deceased sister with unbridled excitement as talented folks would perform within the Forest of Wavering Mists. Bright lanterns that left behind beautiful trails of bright orange and red as they swung them around in the mist, dancing. They would sing loud enough to reach even the farthest of the castle's lands. And there would be a momentary ceasefire for the duration of the festivities, enjoying the day together.

And yet, all the same, humans enjoyed celebrating in their own ways. With family, with friends, with loved ones—all those a constant with her own way of celebration.

And the more Kizmel thought about it, the more she sympathized for the humans. They could be home now, enjoying the festivities together, yet here they are forced to fight for their lives simply because some madman thought it would be entertaining. It most certainly was infuriating, more than anything else, and she knew they agreed as well.

And how dearly she wished to be back with her queen, to celebrate the new day with her… it was a shame, but there was nothing that could be done, not until they march to the ninth floor and banish the invaders.

"Nghaa! I don't like this moody air!" Cried out Argo as she threw her arms into the air, an annoyed look on her face. "It's a new year! We shouldn't be spending it moping around in our room! I refuse to let it go to waste!"

"Heh… Yeah, I guess you're right about that," her fellow Beta Tester looked more at ease now, his smile easily carrying through to the others as they beamed with him. "Ya' know what? I agree. We should be having fun! Or at the very least, relaxing and not doing anything too stressful. So… any suggestions?"

"Perhaps we take a dip in the Great Bath," Vabel looked particularly interested in that, if the way her smile widened by the smallest fraction said anything. "A servant here once told me that they use herbal water here. I'd like to experience it for myself, and it would be nice to go together."

The two other girls 'Ooh!'-ed at the suggestion. The sole boy in the room sweat-dropped, muttering something about 'dangerous'. She didn't see what the problem was with the bath. Was he, perhaps, averse to water or something?

The mention of the bath does make her curious, if a little excited herself. Herbal baths, as her mother once told her, would be a good way to relieve tension, make the skin shine and warm their bodies. In fact, it would be a good way to get even closer to her teammates. Perhaps a bit of skinship should be in order.

"Tonight then!" Cheered Argo. "And Kii-bou—"

"Is not joining you, got'cha," he seemed a little glad to say it himself, getting up with a good smile on his face. "In fact, I could probably go fishing with Klein! I heard about a pretty good spot, so we should—"

"Nuh-uh! You're joining us!" She pulled him down to the bed by the arm, indignant of Asuna's stuttering and blushing. "Seriously! We should bathe together!"

"No we shouldn't!" He cried back, red in the face by the suggestion. "It should be a one-sex thing! I'm a _boy_!"

"Actually, the baths here don't have any gender specificities. It's an open bath for everyone to join," the other ravenette explained, which widened the smirk, worsened the stammering and earned a squawk from her three friends. Easy to figure out which was which. "Besides, it would be fun to bathe together, would it not?"

"This should be illegal… I'm going to get arrested the moment I return to our world for sexual harassment, and possibly castrated by any protective parents and or siblings that you have," Kizmel had to stifle a chuckle at the sheer despair with which he'd said his words. Argo just waved him off and told him that he'd be fine, and that he could join Klein another time.

But they were right about one thing. A bath together at night did sound nice…

* * *

4th January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 4, Dungeons

Planning a raid was no easy feat. It required the cooperation between every participating player, careful planning and a massive amount of manpower. After all, they were to fight against a boss monster; the strongest of monsters on that floor in particular, which meant that they'd have to go all out if they wanted to win.

Then again, someone better put that under 'Criteria Specifically for _Humans_', because—

"Shift back! Archers, ready your aim!" The lancers immediately parted, the incoming wolves unprepared for the incoming volley. "Fire!"

Arrows rained upon them without mercy, piercing hide, mandible and eye. Thank Kayaba that this wasn't _so_ realistic as to put gory blood and all. Rather, it was pixelated violence, and they immediately burst into polygons rather than stay a corpse on the ground.

Rated T for Teenagers. Wait, 14+ counts, right?

Kirito was wholly uncertain of what to say, let alone _feel_ about this entire situation. He'd worked with the raid parties before this and they'd been pretty good, not gonna' lie. The first official raid back with Diavel had to have been the smoothest one, only for things to go bad with Kibaou and Lind constantly at each other's throats. Poor Diavel got struck with depression after the first battle.

…Actually, you know what? Screw that. He won't pity him. He tried to _kill himself_!

All of that aside, he and his teammates were woefully unprepared for how incredibly _different_ things were with the elven army. Even now, he couldn't believe it.

They were so much more prepared, working so efficiently like an algorithm. Each command that Yofilis gave, they executed perfectly. None of them got in his or his teammates' way when they fought.

Sure, they weren't at the boss battles yet, but you'd _think_ that there would be some form of chaos considering that there were _eighty elves_ in this corridor! But nope, they knew where to move, when to attack, how to assist one another, and even more.

'Note to self. Do _not_ piss off Yofilis,' he knew his stuff. Made sense, since he's a veteran in this world with plenty of experience. "So, where to next?"

"Says here that we'll need to head west, go down the corridor to the right, and we'll reach the boss room," Argo's voice was loud enough for everyone to hear, the soldiers nodding their assent as they resumed marching. He took the opportunity to approach his friend, who was watching the army.

"Thoughts?" He asked.

"They're impressive," Asuna answered in her stead, stepping beside him with a wide grin. "I suppose it makes sense. Their levels are already much higher than us, and they've had drills and training. It was a good idea to have them come with us."

The levels part made sense. Kizmel was Lvl 15 back when they first met, which was pretty darn high, all things considered. "Yeah, no kidding. This battle may be a cinch with them around, though we can't let our guards down. Who knows? Maybe Wythege has a secret power that we don't know about until his health hits red."

"Prepare for the unexpected. Makes sense," the elf nodded. "Shall we go?"

Joining the Dark Elf's army once more, they'd made quick work of the remaining monsters that stood in their paths. The sound of boots marching across the hall bounced off the walls, providing a rhythmic pattern of _thuf_, _thuf_, _thuf_. They hastened to reach the fore of the army, walking in step with Yofilis, who kept his gaze steady and forwards.

Man… Kizmel's a knight, right? So does that mean she's done this before? Doing the marchy-marchy with other soldiers before fighting some monsters? It was an insane thought, though, she'd told him she directly served the queen as her consort, so perhaps she was more of a bodyguard than anything else.

He may not be a knight or a part of a guild or whatever, but he knew that responsibility was a huge thing when you're a leader, or even a member of such an organization. He couldn't really understand how it must be for Yofilis, but he seemed fine. He doubted he'd be able to do the same.

"Sir Kirito," the boy perked up, looking to the elven noble. "I intend to ask you for your opinion on something, if you don't mind lending an ear to this old man."

"Old? Hah, the way I see it, _old_ doesn't really fit you at all," someone might have scolded him for being disrespectful, but seeing the way the corner of his lips seemed to quirk a little, it was clear he didn't mind it. "Anyways, sure. What's on your mind?"

"It's about your powers," he began, which certainly piqued his interest. "I find it hard to believe d you seem capable of wielding an otherworldly power related to the very things that have plagued our world and killed our kind. Just what are they?"

"Beats me. I literally got this power during the battle against Illfang back on the first floor. Literally came out of nowhere," he shook his head with a little sigh. "Seriously… Ever since then, I seriously think I'm some sort of bad luck magnet. Things just go bad with me around."

"Haha, you don't actually believe that, do you?" Chuckled the man. He heard a few gasps from the army behind them. "Well, even if that were the case, you're already handling everything quite well, so I suppose there's nothing for us to fear."

"Don't jinx it…" He pleaded, making him laugh a little louder. "Seriously… I don't want the battle with Wythege to go completely wrong because we all expect it to go fine, and then it _doesn't_. I've already gone half-insane since the start of all this madness, but I don't want Wythege to suddenly turn into a, what? A dragon? A horse? God forbid, an _angel_?!"

A sight it would be, indeed. From some hippopotamus to a freaking being of light. Where would the lines of normalcy be drawn? Or would they just have to get used to nothing making sense?

Uurgh. Even Arsene is laughing at his worry. It's not funny! It could theoretically happen!

His mind brought up the image of Wythege, though he wasn't truly certain how it'd look like, since he hadn't been part of the first raid battle. Back during the Beta Test, Kirito had never fought Wythege. Rather, they'd put some sort of cool-ass samurai as the boss. Kagachi the Samurai Lord. He'd been such a blast to fight, though here, Kirito dreaded the thought of clashing blades with the powerful foe.

Nonetheless, from what Argo managed to get from the players who were part of the first raid battle, Wythege was particularly slow. Slower than even Nerius, which sounded like a good thing… if only because they didn't have to worry about getting hit.

Thing is, though, games tend to input certain stereotypes into their characters, monsters and bosses. 'Glass cannons' referred to the units that could deal overwhelming damage, yet were fragile and could easily be crushed with but a few blows. Tanks were slow, but they could take as many hits as you could believe. Saboteurs are more of the debuffers who worked to thin out the enemy's stats. And so on and so on.

Considering how slow Wythege was reported to be, it most certainly fulfilled the tank type. He'd have a good feeling that it was going to be one hell of a wall to break, and its attacks, though slow, would pack enough punch to deplete one's health into the red zone if they got hit.

Fragile players like Argo and Vabel would be _destroyed_ if they took even one hit. He and Kizmel would fare well enough, himself more so if he drew forth his 'Regalia'—he'd discovered a unique resistance to physical damage sometime ago, which made him even more confident to be the shield of his team if the situation called for it. Asuna was in-between, but he wouldn't risk it either way.

That's why, for all purposes, he'd have to rely on his Persona. Arsene was a powerhouse in his own right, capable of tearing apart waves of enemies with magic and his own claws—both raw and strengthened. Hence, he'd play the role of the saboteur, focusing more on toppling the boss and staggering it. He could work on weakening Wythege's defense to give the others the opportunity they'd need to deal damage as well.

All in all, a pretty solid plan! Yofilis and his men would charge in with their impressive strategies, he and his teammates will do what they do best, and everything would be settled.

Everyone ran through the plans that Yofilis and Asuna had devised during the few strategy meetings they had back in his castle. The strategizing was over soon enough and, as countless hands pushed the doors in, the stone scraping against the concrete floor with a grating noise, Kirito had already summoned his 'Regalia', body already tense. This wouldn't be the hardest fight yet, but he wasn't willing to risk it. Gotta' give it his all, no matter what!

Although…

He looked behind, past his shoulder. Beyond the soldiers, beyond the faces and all the armour… the corridor was empty. Devoid of any other life save for themselves. Huh. Weird.

It could've been just his paranoia, but was something watching them from behind..?

* * *

The battle between the army of elves and the Persona user's party against Wythege the Hippocampus was initiated the moment they charged into the room, weapons brandished and voices in the form of loud roars that reverberated throughout the room.

The room lit up, finally putting Wythege into view as clay-coloured skin and googly blue eyes that glowed red finally spotted them. It wasn't a roar of a bestial animal, but a rumbling engine that he knew hippos could really produce in real life.

Kirito, despite already having summoned his 'Regalia', didn't rush straight in because there was one thing to recognize here, in this battle; Wythege is their first _quadruped_ foe.

Floor one introduced them to Illfang, which was a bipedal enemy. Asterius and his two lackeys were of the same, so it wasn't too hard to fight them. Nerius was a different foe entirely; an unmoving tree that focused more on area-of-effect attacks. Wythege was an entirely new group of enemy.

Sure, they'd fought Frenzy Boars and Dire Wolves, but this was a boss. And bosses just can't be compared to typical mobs.

The info checked out. Wythege was certainly a foe to watch out for. It had little legs, sure, but he could tell that the thick plates covering its body would make inflicting any form of damage on it close to impossible. It was gigantic, with fat and muscles that weighed it down a bunch. It would be slow, but it would be one hell of a tank.

"Vanguards, form a line! Archers, take point and aim! Fighters, ready yourselves!" Immediately, elves with large shields formed a row, their bow-wielding brethren right behind them as they drew their bows. "Sir Kirito, if you would!"

"Hah! You don't need to tell me twice!" Elucidator shattered, Arsene right behind him. "Let's go!"

He was the only one with enough power to handle Wythege, making him the most suitable person to fight it in close combat and effectively topple him. Doing so would probably expose a weak spot, usually the ventral, for the elves to abuse.

"Asuna, Vabel, try and poke some holes into him! Find any gaps in his defense! Argo, I'll leave you to draw his attention! Kizmel, with me!"

"_Right_!"

For as great as Yofilis and his army were, he wouldn't dare count his own team out. They moved in sync with one another, Kirito meeting his enemy head-on as the two charged at one another. The beast grunted as it smashed its skull into his fist, his «Senda» and Arsene's burning claw more than enough to knock it back.

The fencers took the opportunity to close in, stabbing their rapiers in the flesh in-between the hard plates. Some attacks bounced right off while a few managed to make clean hits, but Kirito knew it would be hard trying to focus on the body.

Wythege recovered faster than he thought, spinning its body like a top to ward off any more attacks. Were the boss room designed in a muddy sort, it could have easily splashed mud onto them and slowed them down—that wasn't the case here.

The only special room they've come across thus far had been Nerius, and even then, it was annoying with all the plants and—

"Crap!" He quickly sidestepped a charging hippo, shattering Elucidator as he gave his next command. "Take him out!"

A burst of dark energy detonates beneath Wythege's feet, though the effect wasn't enough to throw it off its momentum. It was getting closer to the elves, though was quickly caught off-guard by a shield tackle. Purple hair is thrown back as Kizmel quickly backpedals, gaining distance.

Arsene has taken her spot next as he throws a swift slash, cutting into its flesh that leaves bright red marks. Wythege spins about to slam its body into the demon, but he'd already dematerialized.

"We'll need to hit hard!" Shouted the boy. In the distance, she gives a nod. "Asuna, Vabel, keep it still for us!"

A simple tactic of running circles around the slower entity worked with many, and it seemed that Wythege was becoming increasingly burdened by the presence of two different enemies attempting to distract it from its two other attackers.

Elucidator gleamed in bright light, its wielder charging at the beast with a «Sonic Leap», striking right against it side. Metal struck hard skin, another blade cutting into it with a strong «Vertical».

"_Chaaarge_!" Yofilis's voice was a roar as he and twenty other swordsmen rushed in, all screaming in sync as they unleashed their own «Sword Skills». The beast trembled from their combined attacks, more arrows into its body as the archers shot from a relatively safe distance.

They immediately disengaged as it spun its body once more, aggro drawn onto them. Elves dispersed as they attempt to dodge the beast.

Its attention on them didn't last very long as black energy exploded in its face.

"Hey ugly! You wanna' fight someone, pick someone your own size! Which is kind of untrue because you're a whole heck of a lot larger than I aaAAk!"

"Kii-bou! Heal up!"

Tackled by the thing, he oriented himself to land on his two feet before rolling out of its incoming charge. He caught a potion and chugged it down his throat, seeing his health slowly fill back up. He watched as everyone struck and got away, relying on hit-and-run tactics to whittle its defenses down.

Summoning Arsene, he sends a burst of dark energy that trips the beast, exposing its flank for the archers and knights to take advantage. The moment it got back up on its feet, it proceeded to rush right at him.

"Yeah, come at me," he muttered under his breath, readying both swords. "I was just careless earlier. I can handle you, no sweat! Hhhyaa!"

His shout was joined with Wythege's as it made a small upwards leap, forelegs raised down before falling upon him like a pair of anvils. Kirito moved to catch them with his swords, and _cursed_—shit, they were heavy..! The bones in his real-life body would surely be fractured if he had to take a huge weight like this!

And yet, stubborn will won out as he screamed, pushing back the beast with Elucidator and Annealed Blade—the blade shattered, and in its place, Arsene struck with a firm blow.

"**It is defenseless!"** Just as he said, the creature had been toppled onto its side, the damage it's already sustained making it more likely to getting disrupted. **"Hero!"**

"Here I go!" The sword in his right glowed a bloody red as it swung for the kill. Three fast blows from every direction that could only belong to «Sharp Nail», accompanied by enhanced claws that shredded at its defense and tore its health even more. Arrows rained down upon its exposed underbelly, the precision behind each shot more intimidating than the monster they fought.

Gone was a bar and a half. Another full and a half to go!

He leapt back as the creature fully oriented itself to stand on four legs once more, a high-pitched grumble as it began beating its feet onto the floor. A drum-like rhythm shook across the floor, a few elves rattled and thrown off-balance. The humans all cried out in surprise and forced themselves to stand strong.

Kirito quickly lowered his stance, keeping his centre of gravity low and raised both swords once more, ready to fight.

Wythege did not disappoint. The moment it stopped, it immediately charged at him, catching the boy off-guard with how much _faster_ it seemed to move. Were Kibaou and Lind forced to retreat around this time? It would make sense.

Even so, he was faster, and with the power of the Persona, the danger was limited. He wasn't planning to take his chances, though.

_Ka-boom_! An explosion of dark energy in its pathway that drains his SP bar. It regenerated slowly, much slower than his HP, though he supposed it was a fair trade-off. He quickly moved out of its trajectory, watching as it turned around to charge at him once more.

'This fight is easy,' and that wasn't his ego talking. 'How'd Lind and Kibaou seriously lose to _this_? All Wythege does is run around!'

"Ready the spearmen!" His head shot back to the source of the voice. Asuna's command was loud across the room, enough so that every person stopped to look at her—he quickly moved, though, not willing to turn into pancake beneath Wythege's feet or get slapped away like earlier. "Kirito-kun!"

He nodded back. "Yeah, I hear you! Arsene!"

A shattering sound. Blue fire that engulfed his being as the demonic thief materialized behind him once more. His cackling was deep in tone, menacing… and yet, it made him smile all the same.

Hey, he was on their side, yeah? So nothing to worry about!

"**Allow me! Hrah!"** A give-and-take. He provided the powerful blows, and in return, Kirito sacrificed his health. A worthwhile payment as he watched Arsene, with claws that were bursting with malicious energy, slashed upwards and seemingly ripped into the flesh of its head.

It wasn't enough, of course. A follow-up explosion from the impact of the blow sent it snapping backwards, toppling onto its side. The floor shook with it, and so too did Asuna's voice that carried through.

"NOW!"

"_Hroaaah!_"

Elves with polearms had already been close enough to hit, and as they lowered their stances and willed power into their spears, he knew this was going to be something. Quickly, he put some distance between himself and the downed monster, watching with awe as they shot forwards and stabbed into its flank. Arrows followed suit.

Half a bar left! Jeez, did it really go down that quickly because of its one painful weakness? Either way, the better!

"One final blow!" He yelled, reading Annealed Blade for a «Sword Skill». Wythege got back onto its feet, though showed a little weariness than earlier. "Keep it still!"

Argo was upon it almost instantly, ridden upon the creature and stabbing into any spot she could logically stab at. Asuna and Vabel circled it like fast hawks, and Kizmel repeatedly smashed her shield into the side of its face, redirecting it from side to side.

One final blow. He let that sink in as he breathed in air through his nose, spread his feet apart and raised Elucidator upon his left shoulder. The weapon glowed a steady blue.

The game, as far as he could tell, did not support dual-wielding, and could only recognize one weapon that the user possesses. But even so, there was never a tight restriction on _how_ to use the weapons, so in a way, the system recognized him as a user of two separate one-hand swords.

Sounds weird, but hey? It's a videogame. Get with the program or something.

"Hiyah!" A firm stab into its eye drew forth a shrill moan from the hippopotamus as it thrashed in place, kicking around like a donkey that just had its tail pulled taut. Its feet stamped everywhere in its fit of fury. The girls broke away from it.

That was just the cue he needed!

Still flailing in its spot, it was unable to do anything as people continuously disrupted its momentum with their individual attacks. Even with the final push, they kept everything uniform and calculated, never going too far.

There was nothing but beauty in this fight, and it touched him so.

"**Hero,"** whispered the demon behind him, a flicker of flame in his hand. **"Be ready to finish this in one single blow!"**

"You got it!" He charged up «Sonic Leap», feeling heat wash over him as his Annealed Blade is bathed in black energy. «Curse» magic wrapped around the metal like a viper, a silent hiss as it danced around his weapon. 'Magic-enhanced attack? Hell yeah!'

The game was strictly designed around an Atk and Def mechanic, considering how there wasn't any access to magic. It wasn't like there was an actual Resistance stat in the game, though he has a feeling that the game probably has one now, what with all the craziness that's gone about. He wouldn't even be surprised if even the ordinary players suddenly gain access to spells, completely flipping the game on its head.

There goes 'Sword Art Online's' simple, medieval theme. God damn. How'd this happen again?

Ah, yes. A random encounter with a mysterious yet beautiful girl who insisted he meets her master, who turns out to be a long-nosed dude with the power to distort reality in ways that his brain couldn't understand (and probably doesn't really want to understand in the first place). Oh yeah, and maybe his world was somehow colliding with another world, thus granting him this power in the first place. Arsene _did_ belong to someone else, after all.

…How did playing a game turn into something as nonsensical as _this_?

"Alright then!" He pushed back the thoughts into the deepest part of his mind, allowing the power to wash over him as he roared. "Let's take em' out in one blow!"

A deafening roar from his sword, Arsene's laughter right behind him. «Sonic Leap» was charged up to its absolute limit, and he'd launched himself forwards right after, aided by the beat of the wings that propelled him forwards at a speed that muted the sounds around him for the briefest of moments.

A black blade, swirling with dark energy that seemed to magnify its size into that of a bastard sword, tore right into the beast's undefended nape. So sudden had been the attack, and just as quick as it _slashed_ through, a clean blow as he passed through the gap, polygons of red sparking into the air. Head detached and body stiff for just a second before it eventually fell to the ground with a loud _thump_, the elves roared as its body exploded.

* * *

With the battle over, Yofilis wished them well on their travels and promised to join back with them once they fully recuperated. He bade them a safe return to Yofel Castle, and as he knew it, they were well on their way.

"Such an easy fight. How the hell did Kibaou and Lind fail this one?" He'd have to agree with Argo on that one. "Like, seriously! Sure, we got Kii-bou on our side, but it's not any more difficult than Illfang. Illfang can use «Sword Skills», for crying out loud!"

"Again, their inability to cooperate," he rolled his eyes at the thought. Sure said a lot when their own kind couldn't work together when he and his friends just worked alongside the Dark Elves. Very nice. "Well, that's behind us now. Argo, share the news with everyone. We should start searching for the next floor's teleport gate, too."

As the group talked on and on about this and that, Kirito tuned them out for a moment to focus on that nagging sensation in the back of his head. A sort of itch that he just couldn't get rid of.

He pretended looking at the wall to his left, as if something caught his interest, though he'd been sure to give furtive glances past his shoulder. Nothing, yet he could sense _something_ there. It could just be his imagination, but he knew someone was there.

Argh, whatever! If he's wrong, he's crazy! But if he's right, then that's that!

"Okay! Whoever it is that's following us, _stop_!"

"Eep!"

Everyone practically stopped to turn around when he'd shouted that, surprised then to see a girl with cropped black hair and green eyes to fall backwards, landing on her butt. He'd apologize for spooking her if it wasn't for the fact that she'd been following and watching them this entire time.

Wow. He didn't think that worked. If he had done that as a kid, he might have prided himself with having been some sort of prophet, or magician. Now, he wasn't sure.

'Huh. I feel like I've met her before…' He couldn't put a finger on that, but he certainly knew this girl. She must be a Beta Tester, for certain.

And if she was, then why the hell was she watching their fight the entire time and didn't join in? In fact, she'd been using the «Hide» skill; that no one, not even _Kizmel_ with the enhanced senses, couldn't detect her was impressive. It must mean that she'd levelled up her skill to a respectable level, enough to fool even an elf.

Yet she didn't manage to evade _him_. Wonder why that was so.

'Maybe something to do with my 'Regalia'?' He thought back to the sword strapped to his waist, deciding that he'll shelf that question to ask of Vabel for later.

"Someone was following us? How'd I not notice that..?" He'd heard Argo whisper that quietly to herself, and though he would have enjoyed teasing her about it, it wasn't even a fault on her part. Not even Kizmel the elf noticed her.

Well, he'd already repeated that in his mind already earlier, so he'll focus on the girl averting her gaze away from them. "So, any reason you were following us?"

"That's… umm, w-well…" Having been exposed, she was practically a wreck. She'd lost her calm and seemed to struggle with finding her words. "I-I just… wanted to… and… mmg…"

"Please speak up. We can't hear you," Kizmel said with a soft voice. "We apologize if we may seem a little aggressive. We didn't expect someone to be tailing us. Perhaps we could begin with introductions? I am Kizmel, and these are my companions."

"No introductions needed since we're pretty popular," shrugged the information broker, her fencer friend giving her a look that shouted 'Hey!', which she promptly ignored. "And ya', girl?"

"K-Koharu," stuttered the girl in a weak attempt of self-introduction, waving her hand with a little smile. "Nice to meet—"

"Koharu?" He felt a brow quirk, realization hitting him. This girl… he knew it! Just like in the Beta Tester, she looked the same as she did back then! "I met you. You're a Beta Tester too, weren't you? From back in the beginning town."

"Oh! Y-You still remember me?" She looked surprised, and honestly, so was he. He didn't expect to still remember a girl from months back, yet here they are. Guess the world of gaming really is a small place. "But it was months ago."

"I guess I've got good memory?" And bad luck. Do either of those two things help? Ehh. That's up for debate. "Not sure. I guess I tend to remember stuff. Anyways, why were you following us? Or watching us, for that matter. Extra help would have been nice, not gonna' lie."

"A-Ah. Well, that's…" She seemed a little disappointed, frowning as she kicked a stone on the floor. "I'm just no good when it comes to fighting. Sorry that I couldn't help…"

"A shame, but nothin' to worry 'bout," shrugged the other Beta Tester. Huh. Three in the same spot. How about that? He'd thought he'd only seen two this entire time; Diavel and Argo. Now adding another to the list. "I mean, I'm not good at fighting either, but I can do other things."

Not wrong on that part. She wasn't a fighter, nor does she intend to be one. She prioritizes most of her experience points into speed, which was… good?

Honestly, being the cynical player that he is who has nothing better to do than to analyse literally everything because it was fun, the disadvantages were plentiful. The Str stat really translated to bodily strength, which encapsulated damage output and taking hits. Argo was literally keeping herself so weak and frail on purpose.

But with her lithe figure, she was able to make herself a tricky target. One who could weave and dodge between each attack. And though she couldn't hit hard, but she could go for repetitive damage, and that was annoying for almost anyone.

So really, Argo was a mixed bag.

"Kii-bouuu…" He felt a shiver down his spine as amber eyes pierced into his soul behind half-lidded eyes. "You're not thinking something bad about me, are ya'?"

"N-No, of course I'm not! I was thinking about… Koharu," lying through his teeth was _not_ his good suit, and they probably knew as well. Well, except Koharu, that is. "A-Anyways, I guess it's fine since you didn't help out. Still, it wouldn't have killed you to at least _try_ and do something?"

"Kirito-kun, stop being mean to her!" Chastised her friend.

He had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Yeah, he supposed he was being a bit of a dick there, but really! Argo was literally the weakest fighter in their group and she'd _still_ participated in the fight. Everyone just has to find their own ways to contribute.

"Well, enough of that then. Since you're here, we might as well go together then," he nodded to the massive doors before them. "That is, if you want to, of course."

"O-Oh!" She visibly beamed at the offer, smiling a little more confidently now. "S-Sure! I'm in your care!"

Well, how about that. Perhaps she was just going to be hanging out with them temporarily, or she may end up a part of their little circle. Welp, not like he was going to complain. It's always nice to meet a new face every now and then.

Even if most of them tend to be girls… _Hmm_…

Kirito shook that silly thought aside—really, it's not like he's _only_ ever going to meet girls in this game—and walked on. With a press of a button, the doors opened up, and light bathed them.


	13. Rising

Chapter IX: Ri**s**ing

* * *

7th January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 5, Karluin

Light. Inexistent. Featherweight. Her body was a phantasmal, weightless thing that left her all too uncertain, all too nervous as she awaited the familiar sensation of having ground beneath her feet to welcome her once more to normalcy.

Teleportation was such an odd feeling, and one that Lisbeth doubted she'd very well get used to. It was, by no means, a necessarily _bad_ sensation, but it warped her body in a way that it ceased to exist in the material plane, only to then be reconstructed in an entirely new location in the same manner. It felt odd.

Pink eyes were screwed tight as the light of the warp gate flashed bright, her body feeling light for just a split second before she felt herself becoming vertically realigned. She allowed herself to open her eyes, light entering them as she beheld the sight before her, and gasped. Karluin! It was… was…

"The place looks abandoned."

"You could say that again."

She looked from one building to the next, taking note of their uniform architecture and the little details that gave them that 'ancient energy'; moss and vines crept along the walls of the building, occupying the few cracks in-between. Grey stone looked dull and dark from the aftereffects of rain. The residents of the city were bustling about, all in their typical haste to sell things and get by with life.

A rather typical, if mundane city. And from the old fortress-styled buildings, walls and stone, it really was an old city.

"Obviously, it would be a more breath-taking sight if you walked from the boss room's exit all the way here, but it's kind of far, so here we are," he spread his arms wide. "Welcome to Karluin."

He'd meant it sincerely, though the moment he said that, the sign of a fruit shop promptly detached from the wall it had been hung to, crashing atop a wagon of fruit and bread and crushing everything beneath it. Astonished, the stallion beside the wagon neighed in shock and proceeded to rush away, the click of its hooves merging with the people's screams of fear and confusion filling the air, everyone beginning to run around in the chaos.

Everyone sweat-dropped but chose to ignore that spectacle.

One might wonder how a blacksmith on Floor 1 ended up on Floor 5 alongside her best friend, whom she met sometime during the tail end of the first month—the younger girl needed a place to stay, and she technically needed a helper. And look at that! Things worked out well.

Anyways, they'd been working together ever since, keeping up with the demands and challenges of actually _working_ in-game. Lisbeth had to admit, though, that she was surprised that things were going just as good as they are for her. She'd thought that, being a female player, it might have made players question her capability, but everyone had treated her as fairly as any other person. Talk about gamer respect.

Oh yeah. Back to the topic. The group had shown up a few days ago requesting her to make them new weapons for the next few floors, though Lisbeth didn't really have much materials to work with. What Silica could get just wouldn't compare much to the weapons they already have, let alone Kirito's enhanced Annealed Blade or Kizmel's impressive elven weapon.

So, for that reason, the Dark Elf recommended they go together to Castle Galey. The territory owned by Lord Galeliah was rich in minerals, so perhaps they could negotiate with him for some ores.

Then again, with how it'd recently been attacked, ensuring the safety of the Forest Elves was more important than ever.

It all sounded good and amazing, and Lisbeth's respect for her friends only grew after hearing the entire explanation. But she'd found no reason to tag along, considering how she and Silica weren't all that strong, but Asuna had been really insisted. And, well… she couldn't afford to say 'no' to her friend.

"Huh. Okay, good news. I've just received a report from one of my scouts, and they're finishing up the mapping of the dungeons as we speak. They'll send someone from my special group I told y'all once to meet up with us sometime in the afternoon, mostly because they need to give me something face-to-face," Argo had said all of that with a shrug and a simple smile on her face.

"Your scouts really are efficient, Argo-san," she agreed with Asuna.

There was nary a player who knew not of The Rat; the infamous yet efficient information broker who delivered on her end, when it came to wanting info on just about anything—a person of interest, quest, monsters. For just the right price, she was willing to get you anything. Perhaps she was already busy journeying with her friends, but that was where her network of spies came in.

All honesty, though? They were the _real_ deal. Full stop. How'd she managed to get together a group of devoted players in a span of weeks (or days, she thought with terrified awe) was questionable, but their work thus far have been nothing but beneficial.

"Nya ha ha! Don't underestimate your one and only, Aa-chan. I've got a reputation to uphold, and that includes being the best at my job," she answered with a wink. " 'Course, I can't do it all on my own, but with help? Anything you need to know, just roger us, and we'll get you your info."

"Effective, and admittedly scary," shuddered Kirito. "Seriously. I don't even want to know how you guys get your information. I think the method will scar me."

It was exaggeration on his part, although the part about them being good was nothing but true. At this point, Argo's word was fact, and she was their in-game reporter / bulletin. It was a weird thought, but that was how it was.

"So we'll be meeting up with your scout later this afternoon. Guess we'll just have to chill around here in the meantime," Kirito said, arms crossed behind his back. "Or perhaps we could try and help you two level up a bit. Just to be on the safe side."

Immediately, all attention shifted towards herself and her friend, both of whom flinched from the sudden spotlight placed over them.

"Indeed. We will need to traverse Floor 6, and the path to Castle Galey is riddled with many an enemy," nodded Kizmel, a serious expression on her face. "Shadows, more notably, if what we've heard was right."

Shadows… She'd read about them in Argo's report once. Apparently, they're a special group of enemies that are capable of using _magic_ to attack. It sounded insane, yet in the presence of the very people who've fought them, she had very reason to doubt their claims. Not when the nonchalant boy actually had the power to _summon_ one such entity.

She cringed at the thought. Shadows don't necessarily sound too hard to fight, but it would be pretty difficult to travel the floors and not get attacked by them. Kirito has his Persona, but the other players wouldn't be so lucky.

In fact, a few of the players who _have_ had encounters with the Shadows had professed to being lucky enough to avoid getting killed.

Yeah, levelling up made sense. And better equipment too, which made their travel to Castle Galey all the more necessary. She could just get started on forging their equipment immediately there and then pass it out to everyone. And she supposed she could use some better gear too…

"Pssh, it's _fiiine_! I mean, we've got a guy who could summon a monster to help us in our fight," Argo promptly ignored his offended 'Hey!', possibly because she called his Persona a monster and not a demon. "And Vabel-chan's, our encyclopaedia on all that Shadow business. Nothing could possibly go wro—Eep! The heck, Kii-bou?!"

"You were going to jinx us. And knowing my awful luck, it's going to happen anyways," he deadpanned, drawing his finger away from where he'd just poked her in the side of her ribs. "Seriously, all we can do now is try and make sure it doesn't get _worse_."

She'd thought he was just being comedic for the sake of being comedic, but the utter seriousness in his tone practically cemented the fact that he genuinely believed it. And, judging by the look on everyone else's faces, they believed the same.

* * *

The higher they went up, the more dangerous the mobs would get. It was a perfectly reasonable logic that provided a challenge to the players, to make sure that it wasn't _too_ easy for them to complete the game.

For the weak players, though, it was a must that they meet the challenge and level up to be able to survive. Such was all the more necessary now, considering the circumstances that they're in.

So Silica, not having travelled outside of the first floor much and having avoided battle as much as she had before, was actually happy when she'd been roped into a training session with the rest of her friends. And she had to say, things went pretty great!

"Lvl 12… Not bad! And you, Silica?"

"Lvl 11!"

Sure, it wasn't anything compared to Kirito's Lvl 17, or any of his friends, but it would be enough he said. It was still a big jump from her previous level, still! So that was good!

She hummed, looking around herself as bright light provided no shadow upon any part of the floor. The outskirts of Karluin was practically wide and open, so getting lost was literally an impossibility; Karluin was literally right _there_. And, though the plains do tend to get a lot of mobs, most of them were relative low-levelled and safe to engage in combat.

And hey! They had their friends around to keep them safe, so everything went fine anyways.

"Seriously, I still can't believe it," she heard the only boy of the group mutter, his eyes wide and facial expression that of awe. "I mean, yeah, we've proven it already, but I didn't know that's how the levelling system works…"

"But it's legitimate and it works!" Koharu cheered back. "Admittedly, the Exp. system of the game isn't one that other games actually use, but it isn't too difficult to grasp. When slaying a mob, you're expected to gain experience points, but you can technically increase the amount by finishing multiple mobs _in one blow_."

"Right? Killing five Little Nepentheses one-by-one just wouldn't be as effective as taking all of them out with a «Horizontal»," at her nod, Asuna hummed with a thoughtful look. "I wonder why Kayaba intended to put in such a system."

"Hey, I'm not the one who made the game. I just make observations, test out everything and keep them in my memory. Probably to give players help, as little as it may be," she shrugged. "But yes, that's how it works. I'd experienced this phenomenon once while I was fighting in the forest on Floor 1. I'd managed to level up quicker than I expected, and I'd tried it a few days later. It checks out."

"Incredible… I'm a Beta Tester too, and I never knew. You're a genius, girl," the other Beta Tester said in awe, genuine praise turning her red. "But by how much does it get amplified, though? Is there a criteria for how many mobs you'd need to slay to get that Exp. boost?"

"N-No criteria. And as for the bonus… well, if Kirito here killed one Frenzy Boar, he'd get 24 Exp., right? So if he were to kill five in one, same blow, use the formula, 'x + x(n/l). 'x' being the Exp. you earn from the mobs, 'n' for number of mobs you've slain in one hit and 'l' for your level."

W-What in the world..? S-She'd figured out all of that _on accident_?

She went cross-eyed trying to figure out the math of that, and even Kizmel looked sick, muttering something about 'human calculations being too complicated'. She agreed one-hundred percent.

She looked to Lisbeth, wanting to ask her about _aaaand_ she looked like she wanted to faint.

She felt a little insulted when Koharu said it was 'basic' algebra.

"So, if I just started out as Lvl 1, killed five Frenzy Boars in one go… Hmm, 24 Exp. plus 24 Exp. multiplied by 5, level one considered…" Doing the quick maths in his head, the boy's eyes promptly went wide. "Damn, that's 144 Exp. You'd jump straight to Lvl 3. Not a big leap, but still…"

"Right? It's pretty cool!" How she could be so proud on what was essentially headache-inducing as that was… well, good on her. "Of course, that would make it even more useless the higher-levelled you are, unless you could somehow kill a _lot_ of mobs. But it's still that amount of Exp. and more. Pretty sweet, if I do say so myself."

"Yes, that is lovely," Kizmel's smile was so wide it had to be forced. "Now then, let us return to Karluin to meet with Argo's scout."

Silica sighed. She didn't expect to learn Maths in a _videogame_, although she supposed she really didn't have the right to complain. It _was_ kind of helpful, though just as Koharu pointed out, they'd really need to kill a lot just to make it work, or else even the multiplier would just be useless.

She shook away the complicated equation (and one day, once she _really_ thought hard about it, she'd come to realize just how simple it really was… and Lisbeth would proceed to try and strangle the daylights out of Kirito, just because he could probably take it and in no way would she ever hurt Koharu) and focused on the weight of the knife in her hand.

Originally Lvl 8, she'd pushed herself a lot to the level that she could hold her own in a fight, if it came down to it. Of course, she wasn't satisfied, but she was at least confident that this was a good level.

So that was how things had been for the two hours or so. As they utilized Koharu's idea to keep respawning mobs through some complicated method she'd chosen to tune out because she couldn't handle any more smart talk. Grind on some enemies to get her level up. Not a bad strategy. _Everyone_ uses it, for crying out loud.

It'd been sometime around two in the afternoon when they'd eventually stopped—they'd taken breaks in-between, of course. Her avatar not too exhausted as she might expect her real body to be if she did this IRL. With such a lithe figure and a use of the knife, she'd made more acrobatic flips than she would have liked to believe.

Kirito, though? From a backflip to a spinning kick to a handstand—he's _amazing_!

While she'd been levelling up, she knew that the others were training with one another as well. Kizmel, in particular, seemed determined to do _something_, facing off against Kirito and Arsene (wow… seeing him up close sends shivers down her spine) on her own, while the others attempted to build team moves and cooperative strategies.

It was pretty impressive, not gonna' lie. All of them worked incredibly well with one another—as she watched Asuna and Vabel move onto the offensive against Argo and Kizmel, she felt nothing but complete awe, watching how Kizmel managed to move her arm fast enough to block each hit, allowing Argo to dish out her own hit-and-run attacks.

'I want to be able to do that too,' she decided to herself, sharing a nod with Lisbeth as they trained. 'We certainly will!'

That was a few hours ago, and now, they were returning to the city to grab a quick brunch with the Cor they'd earned from the day. And wow, she'd actually made a lot!

Finally entering city grounds, she skipped alongside her teammates with a cheery tune, occasionally joining the conversations—and how about that? Despite how much younger she was from everyone else here, everything was still pretty comfortable. She liked how none of them treated any differently or awkwardly, which was great!

It was kind of funny how brazenly open Kirito was with her, only for Asuna to scold him for his lack of tact. She kind of liked it, actually! No need to hold back on her account just because she was younger.

Nonetheless, Silica was most certainly looking forward to getting something to eat. Hunger may not really be a thing in this game, but it _still_ does tend to replicate a lot of things, so she supposed the NerveGear is telling her brain to tell her in-game avatar that she's experiencing hunger, thus a reminder for her to eat up.

She'd been grateful enough that Koharu was more than okay with simplifying everything, and not go full-on complicated.

" 'Blink & Brink' is a tavern here, with an inn upstairs, although I wouldn't really suggest the place. Being a tavern, they mostly sell watered-down alcohol and mushy food," he made a vomiting noise. "Nope. Instead, we're going to go get our food from 'Old Tastes'. Not a bad restaurant, if I do say so myself."

Her pink-haired friend nodded. "Anything's fine with us. Lead the way!"

It was an outdoor restaurant, really. The cooks worked in the building they'd rented while several tables and umbrellas were set up outside—thankfully, the umbrellas were colourful, or else the shop wouldn't have stood out, since the building was as grey as everything else. Really, was Karluin's official name 'Karluin, The City of Grey' or something?

Putting aside the thought, she joined Vabel, Kizmel and Asuna at one table while Kirito sat with Lisbeth, Argo and Koharu. A waiter arrived at Kirito's table first, listening to them make their orders before he moved to them next.

"A good morning to all of you. May I take your orders?" He brought out a notebook, acting in what was certainly a pre-scripted behaviour, if how unnatural he seemed to be meant anything.

It was her first time coming her, so she wasn't sure what their menu included, although it seemed that they focused more on bowl dishes like noodles, soups and stews. She'd ordered herself a simple meat stew, if only because she really wasn't sure what else to buy.

Silica hummed, looking around. Karluin wasn't what one would call attractive, when compared to the Town of Beginnings or even Zumfut, but it did have its own charms. Otherwise, why would these people live here? Sure, they're NPC's, but still!

Asuna pulled her into a casual conversation to get to know her better, and Silica was more than happy to indulge her. She'd gotten to learn a lot about the others too, from how Kirito first gained his power, to Kizmel's duty, to knowing a bit more about Argo and Vabel, and the rest. When the food arrived, she'd happily resumed talking even as they ate.

Aah… Talk about a relaxing day.

It's funny how the group that literally are pulled into every stressful situation somehow manage to keep their spirits high. She felt awed, and was just glad that hope could really stay strong, no matter what. With them around things will never go wrong.

Peace gets interrupted in a lot of ways, and this one was bizarre.

"Laaaady Argo~! Fairest maiden of them all! The star amongst the stars! I have come to deliver my—_urhga_!"

"Ignore him. I don't know the guy."

It was one thing to watch as her friend got approached by some random red-haired guy who was admittedly good-looking though a little over-the-top in his flair. It was also another thing entirely to watch as she threw a throwing pick right between his eyes without even sparing him a glance.

"Lady Argo, why'd you do that?!" Screamed the young man as he pulled out the object from his face, a small red dot on the bridge of his nose. "You almost hit my eye!"

"Wished I went for the throat instead," murmured the information broker, which made her shudder. She wasn't serious, was she? "Urgh. At least you're here... Everyone, this is Lueur, one of my scouts. A bit of a flirt as he is, and an admittedly talented interrogator and navigator."

She'd gritted her teeth when she used the word 'talented'. Silica looked to the man known as Lueur, who recovered quickly enough when she kind of complimented him. Huh. He was… eccentric. Is everyone working for Argo like him?

"Indeed I am! Lueur, a member of Lady Argo's 'Kingsman', devoted to the cause and talented in aplenty," he chuckled a little, while she perked up at the name. Is he part of that special group Argo mentioned once? "I came up with the name myself, really, but we are a truly skilled bunch. Unique from the rest of Lady Argo's men and women. No one better than us, as far as I can tell you."

"To business. How'd it go?" She asked.

"Quite well, milady. I'd say it was perfect," said the redhead, pulling a chair over to their table. His flirtatious smile hadn't gone away, an amber eye winking once towards Lisbeth—she'd immediately turned away her head to make a retching sound. "The dungeons were spacious, so it had taken a wee bit of time to map everything out, though we'd managed to find the boss room quickly enough after. We've had no encounters with any enemy, suffered no injuries and have mapped out the entire place, although…"

"Something bad?" Her question weakened his smile until it turned into a soft frown. "Well, Lueur? Spill it."

"Shadows," the mention of such has her tensing, and everyone around the tables practically tensed up as well. Gone was his smile. "While you've warned us that they've started spawning more occasionally in dungeons and the wild areas, these ones… acted strangely. See, we intended to sneak into the room using Lady Koharu's strategy to get some info on the boss, but three Shadows were guarding the entrance to the boss room, preventing us from coming any closer."

What? But… that doesn't make any sense. Don't Shadows just roam the wilds? They'd come across one or two earlier during their training, though they'd been so weak that there was just no need to worry about them.

That there were Shadows _protecting_ the entrance to a boss room… Why is that?

He shook his head, sounding disappointed. "And I wish we could have gone in to fight them ourselves, but you'd taught us well, Lady Argo. And we knew that they were too strong for us to handle on our own. Even our best fighters like Liten and Sanya would have not measured up to them."

"It's good that you retreated, then. Don't need any unnecessary casualties on our end," she'd tried to sound casual, but everyone could tell that she was immensely glad, if how her tone got softer was any indication. "Could you describe us these Shadows?"

"I can do you one better. Bless Stilla. She'd managed to draw sketches of the Shadows rather quickly for your reference," he pulled out a book and set it on the table.

Three humanoid figures, two of them wielding naginata-like weapons while the last one possessed a far more intimidating look compared to the other two. Shadows _really_ varied a lot in terms of looks, and she could only imagine what their powers were.

Vabel barely needed much time to recall the names of the Shadows drawn upon the paper, her eyes narrowed. "Kin-Ki, Sui-Ki, and Fuu-Ki. They are focused on physical attacks, ice and wind respectively, and Kin-Ki possesses an innate resistance to physical attacks. These are the identities of the Shadows, and they are indeed especially powerful."

"My, my. A resistance to physical attacks, you say? That severely puts us at a disadvantage," sighed the man. "In a world such as ours, where we fight with swords and bows, to know that they're naturally resistant to such means of attack is rather disappointing."

"Then again, the monsters in Aincrad have these sort of resistances too," Kirito piped in. "Think of Lizardman Lords, which resist all weapons but are weak to those capable of piercing, like spears, rapiers and bows. Slime and insect-type enemies are weak to swords, and golems are weak to maces and axes. But I guess in this instance, if the enemy can resist _all_ of that, then it really does put us at a huge disadvantage."

No one disagreed. The concept of elements was just something that the players didn't have access to, unlike monsters and bosses. Sure, there were specific items that could indeed inflict some amount of magical damage, but those items dealt very little damage, and purchasing enough to defeat a Shadow or boss would get too expensive.

They _could_ craft such items, but it wasn't like the materials were readily supplied. She'd once attempted to make a fire bomb (works similarly to a Molotov, really), but she'd quickly realized that the materials necessary had to be procured in some areas that were swarming with powerful mobs, so she'd naturally given up.

But now, they _did_ indeed have one way.

"Sir Kirito, you possess a Persona, if I'm not mistaken. You are able to work around this situation, yes?" Lueur asked, receiving a nod.

"I can. Arsene has access to «Curse» magic, so I could technically still injure them well enough," answered the boy. Right. She'd seen him casting spells before, and they were so cool!

The answer seemed to satisfy the older player, who smiled once more. "That is good to hear. The Shadows were incredibly powerful, and though I've no doubt that you will succeed in your battle against them, I can only offer my prayers and no more. I myself am not much of a fighter, really, compared to my other allies… I can flirt, though, so I can give you some tips if you—gak..!"

An elbow into his ribs promptly cut him off, everyone sweat-dropping at that sudden trivia. They certainly didn't need to know that.

Argo certainly didn't look amused, even as her spy just said things like how he was just joking around.

He looked like he had more to say, but a message notification stole his attention. His eyes drifted quickly across the words before he eventually closed it, nodding. "Well, it seems that I'm needed back at the headquarters. Wouldn't do well to leave the Kingsman unattended. We'll await any further instructions from you, Lady Argo. Take care of yourselves, everyone. If you'll excuse me."

He bowed, a sharp 90 degrees that exuded charisma. Gentlemanly. A little _too_ much, and his flair might have been a little overwhelming, but she could tell he was a relatively nice guy. He genuinely cared for Argo, after all, and she must trust him enough to make him a member of this… Kingsman, whatever it is.

"Shadows, huh..? Jeez, talk about the game being a massive pain," groaned the boy, bumping his head onto the table. "I mean, I bet if the system could do something about it, it would have probably removed the anomaly, so I'm just going to assume this is some real heavy glitch. A real crappy one."

"And again, if it could remove Shadows, it _could_ remove your Persona powers, so we might as well accept things for how they are," Argo said, drawing out a second groan.

A small hum has everyone looking to Kizmel, who seemed oddly focused as she looked at the Shadows. It was only when Lisbeth gave her a small tap on the shoulder did she seem to snap out of her stupor, looking sheepish. "Ah. Forgive me for blanking out. It was not my intention to do so."

"No problem, but something seems to be bothering you. What's up?" He asked in turn.

"I… This Shadow, in particular," she tapped on the picture of Kin-Ki. "It feels… familiar. As if I've met it once before, but I can't just seem to recall where."

Kizmel had escaped from floor nine before, after fighting her way through so many Shadows, so there was a good possibility that she'd met Kin-Ki there once. But the chance of it being _here_? That was an odd one.

"And I suppose… the thought of fighting Shadows is an incredibly terrifying one, I have to admit," she sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose. "I've barely managed to get away from them the other time, and Her Majesty… I trust she is well, but I fear she may be… No, she's not dead, that just can't be it."

Denial. Or perhaps hope. Kizmel's words were filled with dread, somehow afraid of what the truth might be.

"Kizmel-chan, it's okay," Asuna whispered, holding her shoulder in a supportive way. "I'm sure the queen is fine. There were others too at the time, right? So she must have escaped with the rest of them, I'm sure."

Doubt flashed in her eyes for a brief second before she nodded. "Right. I just need to have hope. I'm sure she's okay, because if she isn't…"

"She will be," Silica said with conviction, trusting Asuna's words. "She must be waiting for you right now, in fact! She's probably waiting to reunite with you again."

"That's… Yes, I believe so too," chuckled the Dark Elf, feeling a lot better. "Thank you, everyone, for worrying me. That at least settles one doubt of mine."

"Hey, no worries. We look out after one another," he said this as he looked from one person to the next, nodding. "We're a team, after all. We fight together, we protect one another. My awful attempt at inspiration aside, you've got another question?"

She nodded, tilting her head in curiosity. "I was just wondering. What is it that you meant by this 'system'? I'm a bit in the lost."

Uh-oh! That's right, Kizmel wasn't a human player like the rest of them! She couldn't possibly understood what Kirito was talking about!

The nice peace from earlier dropped into a bucket and was promptly kicked into the abyss as she began sweating, and a quick look at everyone else told her that she wasn't the only one nervous—except Vabel, strangely enough. T-This was bad! She wanted to know about the operating system that handled 'Sword Art Online', and she didn't know what to tell her!

What were they supposed to say? Sure, she'd accepted the whole 'kidnapped by a madman' shtick, but there was no way they could just tell her that this world was created by said madman and this world wasn't real, and that they were in virtual bodies whereas their real bodies were in their real world. She wasn't willing to give her existential crisis!

"Oh yeah, we forgot to explain that to you," Silica gawked. No! He couldn't be serious! He couldn't be, right? Yet his calm expression betrayed nothing. "Well, it's nothing too difficult to explain. Kayaba, the same douchebag who put us in here using magic, also birthed a powerful creature that we'll call the 'System' whose sole purpose is to ensure the 'order' and 'stability' of Aincrad."

She could practically hear the relief in everyone's sighs. That was… accurate, actually, and described in a fantasy sort of manner that was actually plausible in this world.

"As it is, 10,000 humans were placed onto the castle. So, one of the system's jobs is making sure no one else can enter. It does this by using a number of powerful spells to prevent or seal up any possible cracks in its walls, essentially preventing us from getting any backup, let alone know what's going on in our own world," he finished off with a shrug, seemingly oblivious to all the awed and shocked looks he was getting. "So yeah, the system is one hell of an entity that can do just about anything. That's why, technically, one of its jobs is to prevent these Shadows… although, if that were the case, then we shouldn't be having Personae in the first place."

Understanding reflected in her onyx eyes as she digested all the information, and Silica had to admit that it was impressive. To think that he'd manage to basically sell the story in that way… she was still trying to cope with the fact that it _worked_.

But yeah, that was all true. Whatever this system was really called, it really did manage the resources of 'Sword Art Online'; from its monsters to its quests, and maintaining the balance, it was a really vital part of 'SAO'.

It was likely both their benefactor and their enemy all at the same time.

"I see… It truly does seem like a curse, and yet a benefit all the same. A trade-off; for power, an equal amount of challenge," it made him nod, although Silica felt a little annoyed at how the Shadows seemed a little _too_ difficult. "Makes you wonder how everything would be like if you and I never received Personae, and Shadows never existed."

"It would be weird, because I'm kind of used to having this guy accompany us," the moment he said that, Arsene was summoned with a burst of blue flames, chuckling.

"**I am pleased to know that my company is quite appreciated,"** spoke the demon.

"Of course! You've helped us a lot, Arsene. We're happy to have you with us," smiled Asuna, and he laughed once more.

"**Of course, milady. The Hero fights for justice, and it would dishonourable if I were not to lend my strength,"** red eyes stared down to the host in question, who perked a brow in return. **"After all, your desire to save your friends have admittedly touched me, and I intend to see your journey to the end."**

The Hero. It sounded like a rather grandiose title for a seemingly regular person, and perhaps a little arrogant in the minds of others, yet Silica could tell that it was wholly fitting.

Maybe he wasn't the quintessential hero with the perfect redeeming qualities, but he was still human. And as he shot his Persona a grin and returned his words with a 'You got it', she knew that there was no other hero they'd rather place their faith in.

* * *

Everyone continued on with brunch, talking amongst one another while Asuna left with Lisbeth to go stock up on potions. Argo was messaging her kingsman about things, and Kizmel promised to return later tonight as she had departed for Yofel Castle to speak with Lord Yofilis.

He sighed. Shadows protecting the boss room had already changed the plan quite a bit; they'd planned to raid the dungeon tomorrow, but there was no way that would be possible. Not if they'd have to face off against powerful Shadows that were capable of freezing and blowing their ranks away. Oh, and that last one can just wreck them apart with strong blows.

He would have preferred a whole wave of Pixie's, Jack-o'-Lanterns and Koropokguru's for a hack-and-slash, for as lame as that sounded, to three powerful mini-bosses to be honest.

Kirito stared down at the message in his interface, deleting a word or two, and then sending the message. He'd sent one earlier to Klein to explain things, and he'd only just sent one such message, albeit a more formal one, to Lind.

He received a reply almost instantly, and that was a surprise. He pressed a few buttons and read the responses.

**Lind:** _I see. Thank you for informing us. The raid groups have already been prepared, and we'll be on standby until the battle. We'll await your signal._

**Klein:** _Yeah, you got it, K-dog. We'll join you for the fight. You can count on us then, bro!_

Well, yet another surprise. Lind and Kibaou managed to put aside their hatred for one another and somehow got the people to work together again? He wasn't sure whether to praise the players who were still willing to follow them or call them idiots.

Then again, he supposed it was a good thing. Neither of them wanted a repeat of the performance with Wythege, so they'd put aside their differences for until after the battle. And he swore, if they started arguing in the middle of the fight again, he would kick their asses.

The second message made him feel a little relieved, though. Getting to see Klein again meant that he really was okay, and he kind of missed the guy.

…Somehow, he had a feeling that Klein was positively going to kill him because _all_ his friends and teammates are girls, but to heck with him.

He closed his interface with a wave of the hand. 'Our plan of leaving tomorrow's been changed. We'll deal with the Shadows first, and then join the raid groups and the elven army to tackle the floor bosses the day after.'

He'd sent Kizmel off to Castle Yofel to deliver the news earlier to the Lion Viscount, and perhaps recruit their help once more. Additional help would really be nice—quality than quantity, many said, but quantity was its own boon all the same. And he _did_ say that he would be willing to help out before this.

Afterwards, his group and the elven army will march for Castle Galey. The human army could then catch a break. There was no reason to believe that the Forest Elves survived the assault, though they'll do whatever they can to help the survivors and reclaim the stronghold.

Heh… And to think, back during the Beta Test, he wouldn't have hesitated to kill the Forest Elves—he'd sided with the Dark Elves, after all, and it had automatically registered him as an enemy in their eyes. He'd accepted that, and he'd technically been planning to choose the Dark Elves again when he came here.

And now, here he was, thinking about saving both races just because there was a third party of demons that were ruining everything.

'I'm seriously wondering who to lay the blame on. I _seriously_ want to strangle them,' an eye twitched, his lips a smile. Heh, that would be something.

It wasn't much later before Asuna and Lisbeth returned, a few potions bought and some better weapons that they could get their hands on. They sat together before the fencer spoke up. "So, how was it?"

"Lind and Kibaou already got the players together for the raid battle. Not sure when, but probably a long time ago already, and Klein gave the green signal. Everyone's ready. Now we just need to wait for Kizmel," he said.

"I have returned," well, speak about the elf. She sat beside him, a nod before she resumed. "Lord Yofilis has his army at the ready. He will join us for the battle against the floor boss."

"That's good," really, he wasn't expecting it to turn out _perfectly_, but hope was a pretty strong thing. Might just be the thing he'd need to give his bad luck a kick in the shins. "So, we've technically prepped out enough, and our weapons and armour should last well enough into the fight. Anything else that we need to take into account?"

"Nothin' so far, save for strategy," Argo brought out the book with the sketches from earlier (she told them she'd return it to Lueur later, so he'll trust her to that), flipping to the pages with the three humanoids.

"Right. Just as Vabel told us, Kin-Ki will be—God damn, it's hard to take him seriously when his name sounds like 'kinky'. _Anyways_," he refuses to meet anyone in the eyes, especially when a good number of them were blushing. "Kin-Ki is resistant to physical hits, so leave him to me. The rest of you will focus on Sui-Ki and Fuu-Ki. Keep moving and don't let them hit you; they're capable of magic, after all, and they seem to possess weapons. There's a chance that they _might _be capable of using «Sword Skills», so you need to be extra careful with them."

Magic was already a great weapon for the Shadows. If they could the use the «Sword Skills» of this world?

It seemed ridiculous, but don't forget that Illfang and the bull bosses from floor 2 had been able to do so, plus a few of the basic mobs like the Lizardman Lord. He genuinely prayed that things wouldn't be too bad.

Silica rose her hand, catching his attention. "Are you sure you want Liz and I in the fight? We aren't exactly strong, though…"

"Not strong, but you're fast, and Lisbeth is still strong enough to handle her own. I'm certain that the both of you are fully capable," besides, he'd watch them during their training, and he was confident they'll be fine. "If, on the off-chance that Kin-Ki goes for any of you, prioritize defense or getting away, and leave him to me. Focus on the other two Shadows. Understood?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Now that everything's over, let's move out tonight. Any last prep work, get it over with now."

Night washed over the skies of the castle like a blanket of pure black, dotted with a myriad of stars that gave nothing away. A beautiful sight within this virtual world, one that was determined to kill them no matter the cost.

Koharu put away her weapon and rechecked her inventory. Good. She had potions, some backup potions, and a couple of Teleport Crystals. Her weapon wasn't, by any means, good enough to last her next few floors—it would probably break after the battle with the Shadows, but at least they could get some new gear once they get to Castle Galey.

Once she was certain that she had everything accounted for, she strapped on her dagger and stepped out of the inn that they'd rented for the few nights they've been here. Out into the cold night, she breathed out through her nose, watching as a small cloud of dense vapour fade away into the air.

'Sword Art Online's server ran on the Japan Standard Time, so it was technically night time right about now; the country known as the Land of the Rising Sun was now asleep, or at least most of its residents are—some people were probably still up watching football, studying for their entrance exams or fighting monsters in a godforsaken dungeon.

You'd think that last bit was a joke, yet that's exactly what they were going to be doing after this. They had work to do.

"Koharu," she blinked, her fellow Beta Tester watching her with a worried look. "You alright with those clothes? Wear an extra layer or something. It's cold tonight."

"O-Oh! No need to worry about me, really," where was this coming from? That was sudden of him. Enough that she'd become flustered. "The dungeons won't be cold too, after all, so—"

"I wouldn't count on that," he drew out a coat from his inventory, placing it in her arms. "Here, wear this. It'll offer some heat, so you don't freeze to death. Knowing how advanced this game, I'm certain that might just be possible."

"O-Oh. Thank you," she drew the cloak around herself. Fur-lined around the collar and thicker than what she was already wearing, she felt instantly better.

"You can take it off later once we start fighting. For now, focus on getting yourself warm," he nodded at her, then turned to the rest of the girls, whom had just gotten out as well. "Ready to move out?"

Everyone nodded at his question. Yeah, they'd spent the entire time getting everything ready. There was nothing more to do but to march on.

"I don't suppose you'd mind if I sat back and watched ta' fight, ey?" Argo cheekily asked with a small pat to his back.

"Oi, everyone has to carry their own weight around. I'm not gonna' let you do nothing while we risk our necks against them," he'd somehow ended up laughing rather than sounding too serious, which was fine. Not like being serious all the time would help anyone. "So, everyone good to move out? Last chance to get anything we'd need."

"Nope. We've got everything we need," chirped Lisbeth.

"No other humans, as far as I'm concerned, have entered the dungeons, so it will only be us," Kizmel said. "That said, our battle with the Shadows is bound to be chaotic, so we should proceed carefully."

Everyone nodded. The environment was an enemy now, and it would take all that they have to win this one unscathed. She'd just hoped it didn't mean anything bad.

From there, it was an entire trip by foot. There were no horses to borrow, and additional Exp. gained on the way to the dungeons was something that everyone could make do with. Away from stone, civilization and lights, and into tested wilderness. Past the woods and all the monuments.

A massive tower that connected the floor to the underside of the next one. They'd reached their destination, though it was still many miles away, so the journey had been a rather tiring one. But she knew that there was no helping it.

And then, they stood before the dungeons, ready to find the Shadows and brave its challenges.

No one told them how crazy everything would turn out.


	14. Into Fire

Chapter X : I**n**to F**i**re

* * *

7th January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 5, Dungeons

In a typical game, one started off from Lvl 1 and grows through experience gained in completing quests and battling monsters. It wasn't a strange thing whatsoever, though when you considered the fact that defeat at the hands (claws, maws, etc.) of the very monsters you're meant to kill result with _your_ death in the real world…

Well, you get yourself the brave ones, who intend to march forwards and try to win the game no matter the cost. And you have the cowards, those who'd prefer hiding in the safe zones and wait out the dangers.

She was a little ashamed to admitting that she was one such player in that second group, and the transition from that to a player who was actually going to _fight_ was a terrifying one.

She looked to the front of the group, where Kirito had his Elucidator drawn, taking charge as he always does. Flanking him on both sides were Asuna and Argo, while the rest of them lagged slightly behind. Kizmel, being the Dark Elf that she was, kept watch over their environment, alert as ever.

Silica looked back to their leader and wondered just what was going on in his head. He'd faced trouble countless of times alongside everyone here much more than she ever had, yet he'd never allowed it to get to his head. And she was glad for that. The game continued to evolve, even now, more serious than ever about killing all of them.

She gulped, clutching her dagger a little tighter. Dying… She still couldn't wrap her head around that thought. It felt like a stab to the gut. To know that losing in-game would end up with the 'NerveGear' executing a command to fry the brain like putting food in a microwave…

It was made even worse by the fact that a couple of other players had already died out in the wilderness before the announcement had made because they hadn't _known_ that dying would do that to them, plus the other players who died later on. She, her friends… would any of them be—

"Silica-chan, are you alright?" The girl tensed, feeling the worried gaze of her friend wash over her. "You don't look good."

"I-It's nothing, Asuna-san! J-Just prebattle nerves," it was half the truth, but it would have been enough. Perhaps talking would take her mind off her thoughts. "I just… Will things be okay? We have no idea how things will be when we step into the dungeon, and the Shadows protecting the boss room sound really strong…"

"Considering that they're well above Lvl 20, they sure will be," she'd heard him sigh plenty of times, but they'd been either exaggerated or tired. This one was stressed. A genuine reflection of the burden he and his friends have had to bear this entire time. "It makes things even more complicated when you take into account how it's literally changed the course of this ga—world. Things have become a little too complicated for my liking."

It has. For the Beta Testers, it must feel so weird for the game to change so drastically to the point that it doesn't feel like the familiar game that they've played before. And all players are just thrown off their rhythm, uncertain and lost.

"But we can win this. We _will_," everyone shared his steadfast determination, confidence pouring off his words and into her spirit as she nodded in agreement. "Kayaba made one mistake when putting us here, and that's letting us get as strong as we have. Nothing can stop us."

"Heheh! Leave it to the summoner swordsman to be the motivator!" Lisbeth's tease got him to squawk back in indignation. "But I agree, one-hundred percent! This'll be a good one!"

Right! This is just the fifth floor, after all, so there was no way it could go _that_ bad compared to the higher floors. They've only just started, after all!

Her optimism remained with her even as they cut through several mobs, traversed the world and arrived before the entrance of the dungeons. It was her first time seeing one for the first time upfront; she'd only ever seen the dungeons as the massive, tall towers that they are from a great distance away. Now, standing before one, it was ridiculously huge, with equally large doors that granted entry. Built from old stone that has seen countless days, she was left to wonder just what sort of secrets rested within.

Large as it may be, there was no reason to worry. Fully mapped out by Lueur, they had knowledge of its layout and the mobs and Shadows within at their disposal. Plus, many of them were already so strong, so nothing could possibly stop them in their tracks.

Kizmel activated the doors, allowing it to swing inwards as cold air from the outside blew inwards, carrying with it dust and sand. There was no sign of anything odd so far, and Silica hadn't felt anything strange in the air. It was finally time to march in there and fight some Shadows!

"Wait," she paused at the hesitant tone in Vabel's voice. Her forehead wrinkled as she furrowed her brows. "There's…"

"Can you feel something?" Koharu asked, trying to look past the darkness that blanketed the corridor before them. "I don't think anything's wrong."

"No, there's definitely something," Kirito shook his head. "It feels like… like we're being watched. I don't like it."

"Agreed. Something strange is in there," Kizmel had her hand on her weapon's hilt as well. "What is this feeling..? It's as if the dungeon itself feels wrong, compared to the ones prior."

Being watched? Creepy. Silica felt a shudder down her spine as she looked past the entrance. There was nothing out of the blue, and no clear distinction that confirmed the presence of some sort of spying mechanism or bug.

Koharu was already using her «Search» skill, yet she'd come up with no results thus far. There was nothing odd about the dungeon, so if they had that weird feeling they were having… was it some sort of innate Persona ability?

For Kirito, it made sense. Kizmel, she _does_ have one, even if she technically can't use it yet. And Vabel… umm, maybe she just has that sixth sense when it comes to Personae. She _does_ seem to know a lot about them.

"Everyone, get ready," on automatic, she'd drawn out her weapon, as did everyone else. "Proceed with caution, and hope we can be done with this mess soon enough."

As one, the group of players march into the dungeon, unprepared for the chaos ahead.

* * *

"On your three o' clock!"

"Understood!"

*Shing!*

Her blade cut through virtual flesh, reducing the wolf into a burst of polygons. Instincts and reflexes moved her body as she continued to cut her way through the next few mobs that leapt at her, manoeuvring herself to avoid getting struck down yet hitting all the weak points that would really hurt.

By no means was she an expert in animal anatomy, but she knew enough to know where the ribs and the lungs were, so she'd aimed all her hits there as much as possible; this may be a game, but it was at least faithful to real-life logic to a degree, so the wolves were practically left with a bleeding ailment and literally breathless as they collapsed.

And it was a good thing too! Not only was the pain too much that they were practically left immobile afterwards, so she wouldn't need to worry about them getting back up to chase after, she could immediately activate the Exp. multiplier by going after the next mobs, since the previous batch of mobs haven't exactly expired just yet.

Sure, the condition required that she'd kill them all in one blow, but if that blow technically translated to 'the instance to when all the mobs die at the same time'? It was a loophole that she'd been more than happy to make use of.

Yes! A+ to smart play!

She finished off her last wolf with a swift decapitation, ending the chain of Exp. multiplication and rewarding herself with an ample amount of levelling. Aw yeah! Things were going so good!

Sure, Kayaba designed this game to be as fair as possible, so he had to make sure that everything was in balance. The mobs were suitably levelled, and their fighting patterns were understandable enough that the players could work their way through and fight them fairly.

Unfortunately, he did not take into account _this_ group of players.

Granted, Kirito himself was the true threat, though that might just reach out to Kizmel, considering how she, too, could summon a Persona. And who knows? There might just be a lot more to come.

Even that aside, with how serious the situation was, everyone had pushed themselves a lot to become stronger, to always stay three, four, ten steps ahead of the game. The Shadows were a setback, but everything else? Not so much.

She lost count of the number of Dire Wolves Kizmel had slain, restarting her count from zero. This time, beginning with Silica—oh. Oh, looks like she's struggling a little there… and there goes down the Lizardman Lord, with a stab to the throat, a slash to the knee and a good kick to the chin. Whoo! Girl power!

"You girls better be careful. Don't be too reckless."

"Shush, Kii-bou! We're busy fighting over here!"

The sight of Kirito just lazing in the back as he watched them with nary a care was a little weird. Usually, he'd be in the thick of battle and cutting at the enemies with Arsene by his side. Now, he just looked like a kid who looked so bored.

Well, the mobs were plentiful, though they weren't strong enough to help Kirito level up, so even if he were to kill a lot of them, he wouldn't really get much in return. He decided then that everyone else should get the Exp.—that, and because he'd elected himself the task of watching out for their surroundings.

It was a good thing too. Being the fastest player here, he'd be able to react quickly enough in the case of danger. Much faster than even Silica and Asuna, thanks to his Persona.

"Hey Argo, how much closer are we to our destination?" He called over from where he stood, ignoring the beast chewing his leg—it was a ridiculous sight, and she'd almost giggle at it if she wasn't so worried until she remembered that he still had his 'Regalia' drawn and had his Persona's innate resistance to physical damage activated. Arsene came to dispose the creature afterwards.

"We need to descend a few more stairs, take an immediate left, and we'll be there!" She shouted back, flipping over a Lizardman Lord and dragging her knife through the back of its head. It expired a moment later. "Man. Is it just me or are there a lot of mobs today?"

Probably, although she wasn't complaining if it meant some extra Exp. along the way. They'd definitely need the extra stats and levels.

The group travelled a little longer, deeper into the belly of the dungeon. The air grew colder, there had been no change to the dungeon's design. It was a start contrast to the dark outside, where the walls was a strange swirl of colours amidst black stone. An aurora painted across a black canvas that somehow made the dungeon a lot more uncomfortable than what might have been planned. A white path stretched across them and would divert at times, the sound of their footsteps a steady rhythm that she'd gotten used to.

The further they went in, the mobs grew more in terms of strength than actual numbers, a stifling, uncomfortable silence that spurred the growth of a muted trepidation and kind of made her wish they could get to the boss room much quicker to take care of the Shadows.

And even _that _sounded terrifying. About to fight against three powerful shadows, there was just no guarantee as to how things would go. From what Vabel had told they just before they'd departed under the cover of night, the Shadows' levels ranged between 23 to 25, which was a _huuuge_ issue. Even Kirito was just a Lvl 17.

Well, better their group alone than involving the elven army and the raid groups. Just as how two people getting too close to one another during a fight was still technically a bad idea since they'd get jumbled together and intermingled, might as well take the safer route and fight the Shadows on their own.

Plus, who knows what might happen? The stress getting to Kibaou and Lind, causing them to fight _again_. Or some players becoming terrified and running around without aim, thus making it hard to juggle the battle and everyone's safeties. The possibility of things going terrible was really there, and no one were willing to test it out

'Any… Alright. No enemy in sight,' Koharu scanned the dungeon, green orbs narrowed. Every inch of the dungeon looked almost similar, but there were always the littlest of differences that helped her make mental landmarks to refer to, in the case they'd need to backtrack. 'Yeesh, this place really creeps me out.'

She never really minded travelling in dungeons on her own before this because she knew that there were at least mobs to be careful of; it's that reason, and some others, that she had her «Hide» skill activated. It was good practice.

But now? Everything was different; she wasn't alone, there were just no mobs around, and she'd practically have no reason to use her «Hide» skill. This was all too new for her, and it was kind of weird to acquaint herself to…

But she wasn't alone. That, she knew, as she looked between her teammates. It was weird, but it was a good sort of weird. She trusted them.

Nonetheless, the gradual shift into complete silence had come soon enough. It had begun with their chatter, at first. Ten meters left, and they'd immediately lightened their footsteps, making sure that no sound could be heard whatsoever. Instinct took over and Koharu had her «Hide» skill activated while Kizmel moved even more carefully, practically a ghost with the lack of sound in her steps.

"We're getting closer…" Argo whispered. "Get into cover in three steps. Don't let the light hit you."

Professional. A little _too_ professional that she didn't sound like Argo. Like, _at all_. She had a feeling that she didn't realize she was talking that way with them; was this how she behaved around her Kingsman? Probably.

Even so, none of them pointed it out. In three steps, just as she said, they'd quickly hid themselves behind the wall. Rough, bumpy and hard against her back, she winced a little as she scraped her palm against the stone. Kirito raised a hand and made a gesture. She gulped a little, anxious in all parts of her body.

Silently, she whispered a small prayer to whatever deity that watched over them so that she didn't immediately get his head frozen in ice, peeked beyond the wall…

Where three Shadows should have stood, they found a pair of completely unguarded rooms.

"W-What the hell?" Argo's voice lost all semblance of control, complete shock in her tone. "W-Why are there no Shadows?!"

"Did they… de-spawn?" No..! Don't tell her that was the case. Kirito looked so ready to murder someone, possibly Kayaba. "I mean, that would be great, but please tell me that isn't the case. My God, I don't want to have worried for _nothing_."

"But there was no way that could—W-Well, that _is_ possible, but still!" She'd practically ignored all semblance of caution as she marched towards the doors, a muted 'What is de-spawn?' from Kizmel prompting Silica to explain. "My scouts don't get anything wrong, there's no way! They're the best of the best!"

"We aren't saying they got that wrong. Maybe, like Kirito said, they just de-spawned," Lisbeth's words got her to nod. Well, talk about convenience. And also a little annoying. "So, what do we do now? Do we go forth with the plan and—"

A light tremor. One that shook the ground in a jerky motion before it stopped.

"What was that?" Asuna was quick to look around, focusing. "Did you feel that?"

"We all did. A small magnitude. Barely noticeable, but we're nothing if not observant at this point," nodded Kizmel, narrowing her eyes. "It did not feel natural… and do dungeons even _shake_ for that matter?"

No. No they don't. But what good was it to stay bigoted at this rate? The entire game has changed, and the formula won't stay the same anymore. They were just too clueless and could only adapt to the ever-present changes to the way the game worked.

"You think it's the Shadows?" He'd meant it as just a guess, but everyone seemed to consider his words seriously. And the more she thought about it, the more likely. "I mean, the Shadows aren't even there."

She looked past her shoulder, to the massive bluish-grey doors that acted as a barrier between the players and a wholly new challenge to best. Lueur reported three Shadows guarding the entrance, and they'd come here to find absolutely _nothing_.

Kirito assumed they'd de-spawned, which felt a little too cheap. Though this was a game world, those things clearly don't _belong_ here. Vabel herself had said that there were other worlds, or perhaps another alternate one, where the concept of Shadows and Personae was indeed a real thing. Otherworldly, right? So there was no reason for them to be bound by the laws of the game.

And if that really was the case, there was no way they could have de-spawned. They must have…

'Huh?' She blinked, noticing something on the ground. 'Wait a minute, these are…'

She immediately dropped to one leg, gently brushing the tip of her fingers against the surface. There was absolutely nothing there. No marker, and it didn't look like it had been disturbed. And yet, she activated her «Search» skill, and she found herself gasping.

"Guys, I found something," she spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. "There's… Yeah, Argo's scouts didn't get anything wrong. I know now why they're suddenly not here…"

Her index finger drew the outline of a shape, followed by another. One was large, uniform. The other seemed to possess the same shape, but was much smaller in comparison—it was more familiar however.

She didn't even want to say the word, the dread in her gut pushing her to form the words all the same. "Footprints."

"Footprints?" Kizmel blinked, kneeling beside her friend and looking at the ground. Her confusion practically said enough. "I don't see anything. The ground seems untouched."

"My «Search» skill says otherwise," she shook her head. "The «Search» skill, as its name implies, lets us see a lot of things. Humans, monsters, objects, see in the dark. What I figured out was that, with a good level in, you could see footsteps too, though it requires total focus," her expression grew dark, however, a tell-tale sign of something not good. "And the footsteps are all mixed up. I've got big ones belonging to the Shadows, and smaller ones. Probably humans or an elves."

Tension was suddenly a lot more than it was before, and Asuna had been the one to break the question. "Others were here before us?"

"Yeah, and they're still fresh. That much, I've no doubt," nodding, she got back up and pointed down the corridor from where they came from, everyone following the trajectory. "And all footsteps lead out of here. Looks like the Shadows gave chase."

"Shit… Someone else was here? But Argo issued the order to everyone to stay away from the dungeons until we're done," and she knew that Argo, as carefree as she may seem, took her responsibilities very seriously. "Did someone not get the memo?"

"Either way, we've got a party of foolish players who just signed their death wishes, so unless we move now, we won't have much of a chance to save their stupid asses," scowled her friend before looking her way. "Ko-chan, can you lead the way? We don't have time to waste. We need to move. Now!"

Everyone nodded, the situation finally dawning on them as they produced their weapons. Silica gulped but drew her knife. The Beta Tester was at the lead, moving quickly as everyone trailed behind her. Kirito groaned before giving pursuit.

Uurgh. He'd hoped it was just one simple battle to get over with, and then this happens. This sucks.

Backtracking all the way throughout the dungeon was not easy, if because of how similar everything had seemed, but Koharu's great memory helped her navigate the corridors easily enough. They rushed through the mobs, not stopping to find the players.

Shit. Did they somehow try to engage them in combat and got chased by the Shadows? This was such an opportune time to go take on the boss, but if they did so, then people were going to _die_. Like hell he could let that happen!

"Which way, Ko-chan?!"

"U-Uhm! T-That way!"

They turned the corner and he watched as Asuna leapt at a Lizardman Lord with a shout, her silver blade slicing right through it with a «Linear» and reducing its health to nothing in just a single blow. A few mobs spawned right afterwards, but they'd been unprepared for Argo's «Swift Trick» and Kizmel's «Vertical Arc» to react appropriately.

He breathed and sharpened his senses. Another vibration, though this one was a lot stronger now that they were getting closer. Crap. This was _really_ bad. He'd thought fighting the Shadows would be a pain in itself, and now they've even more to worry about.

He swallowed the bile in his throat (or at least a sensation similar to it, knowing that there wasn't really a 'liver' in his avatar) and ran, keeping himself a little behind to watch over the back of the group. Another mob was felled thanks to Lisbeth, and Kizmel took another down.

"Good job!" He yelled. "Koharu!"

"They travelled—A-Ah..!" She suddenly stopped, hands flying to her mouth as she stared forwards in terror. "W-What is that?!" His confusion turned into disgust as he followed her gaze, and someone seemed to make a disgusted sound.

_Eyes_. Blood-red veins seemed to stretch across the colourful walls, which have gradually become black the farther in they travelled. They _pulsated_ at a heartbeat's rate, so at odds with the normalcy of what he's seen thus far.

"This is…" There was recognition in her voice, but she shook her mind of all thoughts. "No, we have no time. Where do we head—"

Another magnitude, _much_ stronger. Argo yelped in shock as she fell to the ground, the others either following suit or attempting to stabilize.

"Down there!"

"We're close! Everyone, arm yourselves!"

Stampeding like a horde of bulls, the group of players and one NPC eventually found themselves in a wide spacious area. Columns were situated at an equal distance from one another, thicker than the ones that he'd seen back during the first boss battle—

Instinct _screamed_ and his body moved on automatic, pushing Koharu to the ground as a blade of wind soared overhead.

Several columns were broken, he noted, though they seemed less out of place compared to the red veins from earlier, which all seemingly originated from the ceiling, where it became a congregated, swelling mass that made him sick to look at. The floor was a complete black, and not from the shadow cast upon the room. And in the very centre—

*Clank..!*

"Keita, Sachi..!" A tall guy wearing purple overalls yelled as he took a blow to his shield, knocking him to the ground. "Gah..!"

"Guys, stick together! Don't let them separate us!" The one who yelled the order was definitely the leader, if the way he carried himself said anything. He managed to dodge two attacks before getting hit square in the chest by the butt of Fuu-Ki's naginata, air knocked out of his system as he was sent skidding across the ground. "Garkh..!"

For God's—can the world just _calm down_ for even a minute? Did it have to seriously throw a monkey wrench in literally all their plans? He absolutely despised his black-cat luck.

And yes, black cat luck is still a pretty debatable subject, but screw it.

"Who are they?" Silica asked beside him, nervous.

"That doesn't matter. What does is that they're low on health, and they're soon to be dead if we don't intervene," Arsene was summoned forth as the boy got back on his two feet, drawing Annealed Blade and readying a «Rage Spike». "Arsene, I need a speed boost!"

"**Of course!"** The demon unfurled his wings, a small gust produced. **"I am at the ready!"**

He wanted to order them to go only for Sui-Ki and Fuu-Ki, yet the total absence of their golden brethren seemed to make it unnecessary. Great. Five people thrown into the fray, one missing Shadow. Like things aren't already bad enough.

Urgh, whatever. "Everyone, change of plans! Argo, Kizmel, get the players out of the area of battle and heal them up! We can't afford to lose a single one of them! Everyone else, split up and take on the Shadows!"

He lowered his stance a little more, readying for a full thrust. His blade was a bright blue, the sound it produced similar to a charging light cannon. Theoretically, it would be impossible to cross the distance between themselves quickly enough. «Rage Spike» just didn't have a good reach, but Arsene had a trick to giving him that massive push forwards.

"**A bird's wings can take it far into the sky and carry it across the world. For that, I offer you my «Wings of Rebellion»,"** the jet-black cape-like wings on his back unfurled, impressive. **"Ready yourself, Hero! Let us shoot for the stars!"**

Shoot for the sta—

* * *

"—rrha_aaaaa_!"

"Kirito-kun!"

The human body wasn't meant to go from 0 speed to a 100 in a fraction of a second. Such a drastic acceleration would have inevitably caused the organs in the body to slap into the posterior, rupturing everything and killing the person just like that.

Fortunately, though? This was a game, which meant a number of logic was pretty much overruled within this world, and she'd gotten the chance to witness a spectacle that left her breathless.

The distance between himself and Fuu-Ki had easily been twenty meters or so. With just that single attack, however, as the boy yelled within the room and drew upon the attention of the Shadows, he had _shot_ forwards at a speed her mind just couldn't come to terms with. She'd finally snapped out of her stupor from watching that amazing scene thanks to Argo's shout and the sound of Annealed Blade _tearing_ through Sui-Ki's body, knocking it into a column and shattering it from the impact.

"Now!" Argo yelled, dagger unsheathed as she raced forwards. "Take them out! Kii-chan, with me!"

By then, her body was already moving beside Vabel, a twin of metal that raced across the corridor and took Kirito's place as they stabbed into Sui-Ki, drawing out pained screaming from the humanoid.

She'd immediately backed away the instant it swung its weapon. She watched out of the corner of her vision as Argo and Kizmel rushed to the aid of the group of players, while Lisbeth and Vabel teamed alongside her to handle Sui-Ki. Koharu and Silica charged after Fuu-Ki, intent on delivering aid to the black swordsman.

*Clank!*

"**You'll have to do better than **_**that**_**!"**

"Sure thing! Arsene!"

A burst of dark energy catches his blue enemy off-guard, knocking it backwards and giving him the opportunity to back away from the demon. She refocused her attention on Sui-Ki, watching as ice crept along its weapon from where its hand made contact with the shaft. It cradled the wound in its as it stared at them.

"**Companions of The Hero... To think that you've come so far compared to the rest of your peers is impressive,"** it said, slamming the end of its weapon onto the ground once. **"Not many bear such conviction to go against fate, and for that, I commend you. However, you will go no further. I must keep you here, where you belong." **

Its words made her pause, confusion present in her friends' expressions.

What? Where they belong? What was it talking about?

"**Within the recesses of your heart, therein exists a desire to be confined. To escape your own reality and be free from the struggles and pain of the world,"** Sui-Ki sounded strangely determined. **"You needn't waste your effort in escaping. You can just stay here, and be content with living in this castle."**

A desire to be trapped within this world. To escape the harsh truths of their reality. To be free of their pain…

Nonsense.

"We've been fighting to get out of here," her gaze followed Kizmel, who was helping a blue-haired girl away from the battle. Chestnut eyes shot back towards the Shadow as they burned in anger. "People are _dying_ because of what Kayaba is putting us through. We won't let ourselves be trapped here like this! Right from the beginning, we _chose_ to get out of here, no matter the cost! Your words mean nothing!"

If they really let themselves get stuck here, then what of all the players who died trying to fight to get them out of here? What then? Let their deaths be in vain? She refused to let that happen!

Asuna's conviction was concrete once more, already charging straight for Sui-Ki, who had decided then that battle was the only option. Fine with her!

The polearm it weld was with an impressive reach that, as it was swung about in impressive, circular motions to keep them away, she knew could be easily taken care of by getting up close. And Lisbeth was the first to make use of such knowledge, bypassing the radius of its attacks and landing a critical blow against its ribs, replaced by Vabel, who poked blows into its body and made her escape just as quick, only to come back to try again.

Testing the waters to find any weak point. It was incredibly impressive, and she'd allowed her to do so while she focused on dealing as much damage as she could on the humanoid.

A burst of wind from the side tells her that Fuu-Ki had used a «Wind» spell. She heard Koharu cry out, but she knew she was fine. An explosion of black flames told her enough to know that they were fine, which allowed her to focus on her battle.

Asuna was now moving as one with Lisbeth and Vabel, each of them weaving between each attacks as they unleashed «Sword Skill» after «Sword Skill» to break away at Sui-Ki's health. A swift lunge turned into a slash and a stab, «Quadruple Pain» inflicting high damage upon the enemy.

"Switch!" Swapping places with Lisbeth, she watched as the pinkette slammed her weapon _painfully_ into its chest, a follow-up from Vabel as she pulled off an «Aero Penetrator» to stab into its face before shooting back down to the ground.

"**Tch..! Stubborn little—Gah!"**

"Nyahaha! Don't be too careless now!"

Argo tore at its undefended side, and the sight was impressive, especially when taking into consideration the flips she pulled off. Her fast combo was finished with a good «Gengetsu» into its side that staggered the demon, right into the shield bash of the blacksmith.

"Switch!" She yelled, stepping aside as Vabel took her place and shot forwards in a «Linear», taking away more of Sui-Ki's health in that single attack. She retreated, the demon unable to defend itself from the onslaught of dagger attacks upon its back.

She flipped backwards and spun mid-air to avoid a thrust, then oriented herself to dodge the next sweeping attack, though Argo was caught in the blow and sent flying backwards. She reoriented herself mid-air and gulped a potion, while the fencers engaged it in a trade of blows.

By no means was the rapier a suitable weapon for deflecting or parrying attacks, much less to block them, but she and Vabel stabbed and fought as best as they could, one focusing on keeping it occupied while the other dealt as much damage as they could.

"**Ghraa!"** Sui-Ki tripped backwards, giving her the opportunity to pierce its knee with a «Quadruple Pain». It stabbed the ground and allowed ice to freeze upon the surface, catching her by surprise. **"Hah! Foolish—"**

Dark energy exploded upon the side of its head, knocking it away. Asuna grunted, stabbing at the ice around her leg and breaking free with two hits. She turned towards her saviour, who was already trading blows with Fuu-Ki, unleashing a barrage of hits that gave it no room to strike back. The elf was by his side every step of the way, her body moving with no limit.

The team from earlier were very much safe, at a distance far away from the site of battle. Hidden well behind the column,

"Asuna!" She blinked herself out of her thoughts, body moving on reflex as she threw herself forwards into a role, barely avoiding the swing of the Shadow's naginata. "Watch out!"

"R-Right!" She was careless. Can't let herself space out in the middle of the fight. "Let's keep this up!"

Vabel nodded back, and the two charged back into the fight.

* * *

The hilt of Elucidator thumped behind Fuu-Ki's knee, getting it to drop to one leg and granting Koharu the opportunity to throw a fast upwards swipe into its head.

Just a little more..! They were too close to the finish line that Kirito had been practically moving a lot faster than he did earlier, forgoing any sort of plan he'd concocted in favour of just trusting his instincts.

He deflected the stab aimed for his gut. He tanked the blade of wind that cut at him. He matched the combo of the Shadow before him as fast as he could. He unleashed a «Sword Skill» strong enough to cancel its momentum, granting the others the opportunity they needed to deal as much damage as they could in that small window of time.

"A few more hits, everyone!" A «Senda» deflected the naginata aimed for his head. Kizmel attacked with a «Horizontal Arc», two strong hits that reduce its health into its closing margin. "Come on!"

"**Ghhak..!"** Arsene tore into its abdomen with an augmented slash, erasing its health and immediately putting it out of the fight. Fuu-Ki fell to the ground like a rag doll, having lost its grip on its weapon as it clattered out of its reach. **"I-Impossible… This cannot be… happening…"**

The Shadow eventually erupted in wisps of black smoke. Kirito panted, a little tired. He ignored it and turned back, ready to assist his friends, only to then see Asuna dealing the final blow; the fourth hit of «Quadruple Pain» struck true into the heart of Sui-Ki, eliciting a groan as it succumbed to its death.

Finally… Damn, that took quite a bit of time. It was nothing so difficult, but he did not think a battle against just two Shadows would have been _that_ difficult.

"Everyone alright?" His question elicited positive responses from his teammates, which calmed him down somewhat. "That's good… Urgh, finally. Two Shadows down, one MIA, and the boss left. Alright."

"That was a good fight," Kizmel's words drew his gaze to the elf, who was smiling rather happily. "I must admit it was difficult, but we've grown stronger from this fight. I am quite pleased with the results."

"You and me both, Kizmel. I don't regret fighting those things if it means others don't have to, but damn that was something," well, it was over and done. No need to fret over it anymore. "Let's head back to town to restock on items. But before that…"

A pair of narrowed black eyes swivelled towards one direction, and five players in total flinched beneath his sharp gaze. The message was clear, and they'd eventually approached the Beta Tester with their heads kept low.

Five people in total, a complete reversal of his situation; one girl with four male friends. He'd have found amusement in that situation were he not displeased with all of them.

"Mind telling us why you went against orders and decided to explore the dungeons?" He asked, crossing his arms and allowing his disappointment to show on his expression. "By all means, do tell us. We're all ears."

He'd have scolded himself for being a little too harsh on them, but decided it would have been better that it was him. He had a feeling Argo would be more than happy to chew them out for what they did. "W-We weren't meant to go?"

…Hol'up. Did they seriously not know?

"Umm, yeah? I thought everyone got the message?" Koharu frowned, while he fought the urge to face-palm. "There was an official order for all players to stay away from the dungeons, issued by, well, Argo over here. Absolutely no one was allowed to come into the dungeons because we were planning to deal with the Shadows from earlier first."

"I-I see…" The one who looked to be the leader bowed, his friends following suit. "I apologize. We… may have missed the message, since we've occasionally been out of the city to train. We really didn't mean to cause you any trouble."

"Oh, you already have after coming here," scowled Argo, making them wilt even further. "Seriously, those Shadows were real strong, in case you couldn't tell. And you'd thought to engage them despite all that? Were you _trying_ to get yourselves killed?"

"Argo," a firm hand on her shoulder seemed to help her regain herself. The girl huffed, turning to look away from the group. Heh, she was such a brat, but he knew it was just an act. He smiled as he faced the other group of players. "Sorry, she doesn't mean anything by it. This is just her way of worrying. We just don't want to lose anymore people. You can understand that at least, right?"

"R-Right. Thank you for saving us," nodded the leader before beaming a little. "And it's an honour to meet you, Kirito. You're as amazing as we've heard about your exploits on the frontlines."

"Oh, please. Those are usually just exaggerated or completely untrue," he waved off his compliment, inwardly a little embarrassed at being revered as he was. "Anyways, it's over now. The Shadows are dead and we've the boss left. We should probably call—"

"**Not **_**all**_**, Hero. I survive yet."**

"What is—Kin-Ki!"

He didn't know when he'd summoned Arsene, or when his team formed a line as a sort of barrier to protect the weaker team, but all he could think of was the golden warrior that stood before them. Their enemy that had been missing from the battle the entire time today.

Just his luck that he'd showed up at the very end. At least it was one final enemy, even if everyone might technically be unable to do much against him given his physical-hits-resistance.

"That's…" He heard Kizmel's quiet mutter beside him, something akin to recognition in her voice. "I've…"

"**It's been a while, Dark Elf. I'm surprised you'd managed to survive the slaughter when the rest had all been burnt into the ground,"** there was no laughter. No mockery. Its words were said as they were without a shred of emotion. **"You are resilient, and for that, I commend you. But your journey is up. There is no further for you to go."**

"You seem to know our friend here, don't you? Just good," he aimed Annealed Blade at the Shadow, poison in his tone. "That'll just make it easier for me to slit your throat for what you did to her and her people."

"**Reign your violence in, Hero. There is no use for us to fight now. Not when all has already been lost,"** and then, it looked past him. To where his elven friend seemed to tense up. **"You understand what I'm saying, do you not, Dark Elf?"**

Confusion spread throughout the group as they pondered his words. What was it trying to say?

"**On the day that you fled from your people, you knew,"** the thing had the gall to _smile_, as red eyes leered down on her in silent amusement. **"You knew the truth, yet you chose to run away from even that, didn't you?"**

"T-That's…" A small step back.

"Kizmel?" Asuna looked to her, concern on her face. "What is he talking about?"

The golden being clicked its tongue. **"So you've kept even that a secret from your comrades. Such a shame. Then again, cowardice isn't so easy to throw away, isn't it?"**

Another step back, anger and… fear, bleeding into her words. "No… No, you lie! There's no such thing! I refuse to accept your words as truth!"

Denial. It was so palpable that even Kin-Ki started laughing. All heads turned back towards the golden being, which seemed to raise its one hand. All the players tensed, prepared for any sort of move made on its part.

In time, he would look back on this day and wished so dearly that he could take away the pain that it had caused in his friend.

Because, as it raised one hand to clench something, and used its other hand to _grip_ something… only to violently _rip_ it out, everyone paled. The message was clear as day.

Metal clanged as Kizmel started moving backwards. Again, and again. As she started breathing quicker, eyes wide in horror as she stared at the laughing Shadow, unconsciously gripping her own throat.

"Kizmel!" He yelled, but it didn't garner anything from her. "Kin-Ki! You bastard!"

It _laughed_, just as hot, burning fire spewed from beneath Kizmel's feet, her screams drowning his and everyone else's.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Can I admit something? I think this chapter and the previous one aren't good. They're too… _filler_, sort of. I did say that I intended to write a little faster paced, but I end up stretching the duration of time in these two chapters. God damn.

The thing is, I _want_ to move fast. But I prefer going slow enough to showcase development and happenings that I feel are important. And then I end up writing the entire scenes in my head, which makes everything so bloated. But I _needed_ to! I… I need to write the drama too, because it's fun. I know, that sounds mean, but I guess I am then.

Well, my apologies if they came off as a little weak, but I can't spit out the chapters without much context. I guess I'm a romantic for plot. Maybe this was a _too_ in-depth look into things, but I'll make it a little better to swallow in the next few chapters. Bear with me in the meantime.

Also, I just looked up Wythege in the _Integral Factor_ page, and Wythege is _not a hippopotamus_. Oh my God, I can't believe it (XD). Apparently it's some sort of horse with a mermaid tail. Talk about missing the mark completely.


	15. The Tower (XVI)

Interlude III: Th**e** T**o**we**r**

* * *

Most often than not, fairy tales tend to go beyond what is considered normal. They play with the concept of fantasies, impossibilities and so much more that it's impressive. It's no wonder that children are often enthralled by such concepts that they explore; romance, chivalry, adventures.

Nonetheless, there was never a right reason to simply dismiss such high tales as absurd, for sometimes, they tend to hold powerful truths that would be key to salvation.

Becoming a knight was, as she felt, her destiny. She'd desired to become a sword and shield for the people; one who could protect those who could not fend for themselves. That was what Kizmel desired to be, and she'd been granted that very opportunity.

It was, by no means, a fairy tale on her part. For one thing, she's an elf. And second, she hadn't been given such a position by courting princes, saving a kingdom or running from her troubles—she was a knight through the blood and sweat she poured into her efforts. Every step of the way, she had never given up on making sure she was closer to her destiny. And when she'd been knighted by her queen, she had been prepared to fulfil the role as properly as ever.

Sometimes, however, we become bigger than what we expect. And the Dark Elf would soon learn one such important lesson that she was certain all the books in her childhood had never taught her.

Change is inevitable. From there, the only option that remained was to adapt to it and move forwards, or be buried under all the burdens and die with the world.

* * *

August 2022—Aincrad. Floor 9, Dark Elf Queen's Castle

"Rise, Kizmel."

"Your Majesty."

There had been a point in her life when Kizmel, just a simple girl with a simple life in the village, had dreamt of becoming a knight. It was, after all, the highest honour one could possibly have; to give oneself wholly to the service of their kingdom. It was something that she and her sister had dreamt of, and something her parents had joked about them becoming knights in the future.

And here she is, standing before her queen in armour, pride swelling in her bosom.

In the eyes of the foolish, they may have felt that it was a pitiful thing. To be forced into such a trying and dangerous position with little compensation… but none knew the truth better than Kizmel herself, and she was nothing but honoured to be allowed this position, if only because it meant that she could truly serve her queen and her kingdom.

If asked if she could change her position for something else, she would reject such offers every time.

The woman before her was the one who ruled over all Dark Elves. Her queen in the flesh, dressed in a beautiful blue gown as her silver hair seemed to glitter from the light that poured down on her from the windowpane. She looked so beautiful. Majestic, even. A rightful ruler of their people.

And so very kind, as her expression melted into a warm smile. "You look rather lovely today. Did you have a stroke of good happenstances?"

"Not at all, Lady Astra," she shook her head. "I was simply deep in thought."

"Deep in thought, hmm? Well, if you say so," she said, walking away from her throne and descending the small steps. "Come walk with me."

Kizmel obliged, following her queen out of the throne room. The two found themselves strolling across the corridors of the castle, with an open view of the gardens being tended to by gardeners. Some would bow in the presence of the queen while others nodded their heads, and Kizmel simply stared ahead, her steps matching her queen's gentle stride.

The scent of honey in the air, carried by the winds from the forest surrounding the palace. Polished floors that reflected their own visages. Walls of ivory adorned by beautiful paintings, more than a few depicting stories of a human swordsman. That last part draws her attention as she pauses to stare at them, unknowingly gaining a smile from her queen.

"Curious, are you not?"

"A-Ah, forgive me, Your Majesty. I was just…"

Ever the magnanimous woman she was, Lady Astra simply shook her head, vibrant silver hair slipping off her shoulders. "You needn't worry. Even I find myself staring at these pictures quite frequently in my free time."

"You do?" Kizmel asked.

"I do, although I'm nowhere close to understanding what most of them are," her words were tinged with curiosity, baby blue eyes staring at the paintings. "A human swordsman… I do wonder why our castle is in possession of such depictions."

It was indeed odd. Given their past history with one another, what with the major wars and whatnot, there really should have been no reason for elves and humans to really like each other, whatnot. Kizmel didn't mind them one bit, though she didn't understand how these paintings ended up here, in an elven castle.

Their gazes shifted towards the painting once more, and it was straightforward, but no less impressive. Standing in the middle and surrounded on both sides by vicious monsters—all of them unknown, all of them that she's never seen before, yet a quiet sense of familiar ebbed in her heart—he had his sword poised well above his head. Even the weapon seemed to be of importance, as the blade was partially shattered in the middle, and a _demon_ looked to be emerging from it.

It was, quite frankly, a strange painting. No one knew who this person was, nor did they understand the reason why it was made in the first place. And there were quite a few of them, although each depiction varied; some had the Hero leading a charge against the monster, countless others behind him, while another had him surrounded by cards with roman numerals (not like she understood what they were).

Kizmel simply looked at them for the sake of looking, in all honesty. This person seemed rather incredible, she would admit, but it seemed odd hanging these up on the castle walls. But…

"Then why do you keep them?" The knight asked once more.

The two continued on, this time stepping out into a courtyard of sorts. There was a large body of water in the middle of the space, meant to replicate a pond of sorts, housing numerous water lilies and fish. Around them, a few benches, trees and trimmed shrubs.

It was a comfortable silence, and her queen guided her by the hand to a bench, where the two sat. Kizmel was hesitant, of course, but she simply relented after earning one of her stares. The kind of stares that people give others when they're trying to say 'just do it'.

It's when people stare at you without a word, and yet somehow defeat you in the end, is enough to tell you that they're _really_ good.

"Just sit with me. It's not like it's a crime," she always manages to sound so casual through it all, even rolling her eyes. "And to answer your question… well, it's because they're from when my own father was in the ruling seat. He has asked that I not dispose them because it was… unique? Resonated with him? I honestly had no idea what he meant."

"But you kept them all the same," nodded the purplette. "That is kind of you, Your Majesty."

"Nothing like that. I would admit, I find them appealing all the same," chuckling, Astra brushed back some loose strands that hung from her ear. "But here's a question to you now. Tell me, you spend quite some time yourself looking at those pictures. Why so?"

Urk! She knows! Kizmel promptly looked away, a sheepish expression on her face as she imagined her queen wagging her brows at her with innocent curiosity. "T-That's…"

"By all means, don't let me stop you from looking at art. I'd be a rather terrible person to do so, considering that I like to look at them as well," shrugged the other elf. "But you seem rather fascinated by them, always with a focused look in your eyes… Pray tell, why so?"

"W-Well, that's… Ahem, it's a rather odd thing to say, and perhaps it might make no sort of sense. Yet, when I look at the man in the picture…" Her breathing stilled, a blurry picture in her mind's eye that begs an explanation. "I… It feels like I know him."

She would have thought it was just an imagination on her part, yet her heart seemed rather certain of it. A few nights ever since she'd knighted, she just had this odd feeling of recognizing the painting. Was it madness on her part? A delusion? She didn't know, yet she knew him somehow.

And stranger still was the fact that he felt familiar in a… in a close way. A kind of bond that close friends share.

It was hard to imagine herself somehow becoming acquainted with and growing so close to a human. Not due to any sort of dislike towards the specific race, mind you, but simply because she'd never met or interacted with one before. She'd never met someone like him, either. So why would she…

"Is that so? How curious. I wonder if you'll get your answers soon," she nodded back. It would be nice to finally meet this person and put an end to all the questions. "Haha, it seems I've learnt something new about you. Perhaps this is a sign of love?"

"L-Love? Your Majesty, please do not joke about something like that," the mere thought of being in a relationship made her uncomfortable. She hadn't considering her social life whatsoever during her years, and she was pretty certain she could make do without it even now.

"Haha! Oh, Kizmel, I only tease. You simply are a wonder to be around," well, glad to know she got _some_ enjoyment of that. "Anyways, while I'd wish we could continue our little gossip and whatnot a little longer, that would have to wait. The reason I've called you here is, well, one because I needed a break. And two, because I have a mission for you."

Back to business, and she quickly slipped into her demeanour. "Of course, Your Majesty. What would you ask of me?"

"One of our scouts had recently discovered the Jade Key, per my orders a month ago. They were meant to come here as soon as they retrieved it, but it seems that they're facing some… difficulties," her hardened tone was clearly telling; Forest Elves. Their lifelong enemies. "The Jade Key is currently in possession of one of our own in the Forest of Wavering Mists. I'd like you to retrieve it and bring it here. It is imperative that we reclaim it before the Forest Elves can take it back from us."

"Of course, Your Majesty," nodding her head, she stared to the sky. To where pastel blue greeted her with its gentle brightness, not finding the way the sky seemed more like a strange barrier odd whatsoever. "I shall retrieve the key and return as quickly as possible."

A simple mission; reconvene with their allies and retrieve a prized item. How hard could it be?

* * *

August 2022—Aincrad. Floor 3, Forest of Wavering Mists

Negligence or simply underestimating the situation is most likely going to make matters worse. Kizmel had thought that she hadn't done so whatsoever, having come prepared for the mission. She'd learnt such a lesson during her earlier years training under Lord Yofilis—the elder elf was as strict as one could be, and drilled as many lessons into you as he could.

He was harsh, but an effective teacher. And she'd thought that she was much more prepared now. That, having matured much more than before, she knew how to move forwards.

Things don't always work the way you want to all the time.

"Gah..!" Knocked back into bushes, she hastily pushed herself back to her feet and backpedalled, avoiding the blade that had swung for her throat before returning the attack with a «Slant», downing her enemy. "Tch..! Where are the rest of your men?!"

"I don't know!" Shouted her ally, in his hands a simple talwar and escutcheon, both of which were showing signs of exhaustion. They won't last him any longer. "Damn it, they really got us good..! I didn't think there were so many of them!"

It was supposed to have been a simple mission. Or as simple as it should have been until the enemy had decided to spring an ambush on them, quickly outnumbering them and taking out almost all of their men.

Behind her, an arrow flew, burying itself within the gut of an enemy. The elf fell to the ground, a guttural cry escaping his lips as he expires, bursting into polygons.

From whence they came, return to the light. She would mourn for her enemies another time, for she still had a duty to fulfil. And that dictated that they were her enemies, and she had to keep fighting to protect her allies. "We need to leave! Stay any longer, and we'll be in worse trouble!"

"Of course!"

"Right!"

The sword-bearer threw her the key, which she caught with one free hand before running towards the back. He raised his sword to parry an attack, ramming his assailant with his shoulder before chasing after her, their bow-wielding comrade quickly in tow.

There should have been ten men in total, yet five had been felled in the sudden assault. Three managed to last long enough until she arrived, and they'd been taken out immediately after. There was no overpowering the enemy; not when their numbers just dwarfed theirs.

The situation was bad, but not salvageable. They merely need to gain distance from the enemy and find a safe place, just stay low for a bit. And then, they'll—

"Gah!" A scream from the distance catches her attention, and it's for a brief moment, but a sword had found itself into the belly of the archer. He turns to scream for help, but his head is severed from his shoulders a moment later.

Gritting her teeth, she runs faster, breaking past the foliage, her remaining ally in tow.

It was all they could do but keep running, she realized, but one will ultimately end up running on fumes one way or another. And she was running through more bushes, trees and bodies of those she'd defeated. Glass shattered behind her.

She kept running, but she was steadily reaching her bodily limit. The two found themselves in a clearing, panting somewhat. They had been running for too long.

For how long, she couldn't tell. How much longer?

Not anymore.

"So… this is it..?" The other Dark Elf was panting, his grip over his scimitar and shield tight. "Damn it all… Hey, you're Lady Astra's retainer, yeah?"

"I… I am," nodded the woman.

"I see… Heh, you certainly are pretty good. I saw the moves you pulled off back there, and they were something," letting out one final breath, he raised his sword high above his shoulder, the weapon glowing bright. "Listen up. You'd _better_ make it out alive, yeah? That key… it's the most important thing right now if we want to win this war. Do _not_ let it fall into the enemy hands, got it?"

"…I swear it," the grim finality in his words were clear, the message not lost on her. Her eyes closed. "Your sacrifice will not be in vain."

He didn't say anything anymore, only charged right into the shadows and leaves once more. His battle cry, loud in the beginning, had slowly faded away, replaced with the ringing of metal—that, too, faded away soon enough, until she heard the sound of metal cutting into flesh.

Death comes to all. And if victory required the cost of such?

She ran once more.

No cost too great, for their people.

* * *

A wordless gasp escaped her throat as she swung took a blow, retaliating in turn with a well-timed slash that cut across her opponent's chestplate. She managed to bypass the metal, striking flesh for just a fraction of a second before she was forced to duck underneath a «Horizontal», the booming reduced into a faint shimmer soon enough.

It was a one-on-one fight now. Her allies had given it their all to give her time, and she couldn't afford to let their efforts to go to waste. Not when she still had the chance to return to her people with the Jade Key.

With a grunt, she stepped back, automatically putting herself into a rhythm; dodge, swing, dodge again, and pray that she could dodge, because goddesses know his sword is heavy, and that makes his swings incredibly strong, thus difficult to parry or deflect.

She initiated a «Reaver», lunging forwards and striking the Forest Elf across the midriff, getting a gruff shout. Attempting to parry his weapon would be pointless, and she simply lets herself move out of the way with fancy footwork.

Claiming distance, and a small breath leaving her lips, Kizmel steadies her weapon once more. This troop is hardly skilled, but he made up for it with raw strength, allowing him to overpower her. One blow would be more than enough to make her go limp, and she couldn't afford to let that happen.

Not when she was still—

Footsteps in the distance, growing closer as leaves and twigs are crushed underneath the person's boots. Soon enough, the person came into view. "Huh? Elves?"

A human? What are they doing here? Human civilization is far from here, so what is a human—

A sword had caught her in the shoulder, yet not a single sound came from her. Had she been in the right of mind, she would chastised herself for her blunder; his swing was slow, so easily avoidable, yet she had taken the brunt of it. _Stood there _like an idiot. There was no reason that she should have been careless.

The human at the fore, with black hair and black eyes, stared at her in wonder and surprise.

But that's..!

"Crap, hang on!"

"Begone, Dark Elf!"

The fight didn't last very long soon after, not when this human had suddenly rushed in to help her. Not even when the two of the elves yelled for him not to interfere, he had seemed determined to assist her.

It wouldn't be even longer before, realizing that he was to be defeated, that the Forest Elf pushed himself into taking at least one enemy down with him. And who better for it to be if not her, wounded and tired from the fight?

She didn't even question herself when she threw the key at the human. All that she knew was that she could tru—

* * *

….

…

…..

….

…..

…..

…..

….._Not yet_

* * *

On Aincrad, there was no such thing as religion. Or even if there was, there was just not many devout followers of such faith. But there existed many beliefs here, and Kizmel would admit to believing in animism and a 'Faith of Light'.

The world of Aincrad was diverse, beautiful and bountiful with its gifts. There exists a sun god, she believed, that blessed them with light and warmth. There exists an earth god that rewards them with healthy crops when they work the grounds. And perhaps, she believed, there was a god of dreams. That would explain all her old dreams.

Anyways, there was also the 'Faith of Light'. It is believed that, when a person or animal dies—be it from natural cause such as natural aging or death at the hands of another—they are to be claimed by the light of Aincrad. It was a natural rule that has persisted since time immemorial, claiming its residents once more through a gentleness so unlike anything that they would know.

Granted, no one could be entirely certain if it _was_ gentle, as no dead man would be alive to tell the tale, yet it was a belief that such a death was indeed very merciful. To become something so beautiful, weightless… she could only imagine.

Whatever pain would last no longer, and none of them would ever be worried of their bodies being ruined beyond what it is. They would become one with the world, spared and free.

And yet… yet, here she is, in her burgundy room once more. Well, the carpet is, but the walls are more grey than anything else.

As a knight, Kizmel had devoted her life to the service of her queen, knowing that there was no other cause more prestigious. She had grown up her entire life wanting to become a knight, and with it, came the understanding that she would potentially be placing herself in danger. Death was a possibility, and she could not be afford to be afraid. Not if it meant someone else would suffer for her carelessness.

She had died. She knew that the moment the Forest Elf's sword had pierced her gut. She had known so when her body had suddenly felt fifty times lighter, her head suddenly swimming in emptiness before she finally _saw_ light take over her vision.

There was absolutely nothing in the end, and she had _become_ light itself.

And suddenly… she was here. In her room. In her bed.

There was confusion on her part, and a dreaded feeling building in her gut. What had just happened? She had died, that was for certain. The look on the swordsman's face was clear; he knew she was going to die, and she did.

Was… No, that cannot have been a dream. She remembered meeting her queen, remembered going out to meet up with the group that had the Jade Key, remembered seeing the black-haired human, remembered giving him the key, remembered getting stabbed, and finally dissolving into light.

And here she is now, in her room.

More than a little disturbed by how things have just progressed, she made to check any wounds on her body—

"Aangh..!" Her mind was suddenly split, a phantom blade wedged deep into her brain that caused her to grip her head in pain, her voice high-pitched and pained. "Ghhaaa!"

She wouldn't know why it had hurt so much, nor would she have expected doctors to come rushing into the room to stop her from thrashing in her bed, the Elf Queen present as well to watch her with concern as she pleaded for the doctors to help her.

Somewhere, deep inside her, a black cavalier whispers nothing but promises of strength, along with words of 'the Hero'.

* * *

6th November 2022—Aincrad. Floor 9, Dark Elf Queen's Castle

"How are you feeling, my friend?"

"I… A little better, but not so steady, it seems."

A gentle hand across her shoulder to help keep her steady, in case she was struck by a fit of pain like she had suffered these few times. They were becoming less painful over the days, though quite occasional, and her queen continued to look after her.

Such kindness that she felt she didn't deserve. She was grateful that Lady Astra trusted her enough to consider her in her circle of friends, but in that moment, she couldn't afford to find the usual warmth in her words. Instead, she was too lost in her thoughts. One thing continued to remain in her mind.

Three months. _Three whole months_ that she had supposedly 'died', and yet, nothing seemed to have changed. There was no mention of successful retrieval of the Jade Key, its whereabouts unknown. No scouts having gone out to find the enemy. Everything that had happened then _didn't_.

Kizmel was now… well, she couldn't tell whether she was fine or crazy.

'Had I really died..?' She didn't want to believe it so, but it would be foolish of her to simply dismiss what had happened. 'I must have, and yet… this doesn't make sense.'

Nothing was wrong. The Forest Elves haven't made any moves yet, but what struck her as odd was how there seemed to be less hostility between their factions than she last remembered. She had no scars, no reminder of her fight in the forest, nothing to prove that what had happened three months ago was true.

She could have written it off as simply a dream, but that was impossible. Not with the phantom sensation of a sword in her belly that still made her uncomfortable.

"W-Well, I still have my regular bouts of headaches," she wouldn't want to admit to any weakness in front of her queen, but she knew that hiding it would only worry her even more. "I have rested well enough, yet they haven't seem to fade in the slightest…"

"Is that so? That is worrying," she hummed, crossing her arms beneath her bust. "I will need you at your best for next month, Kizmel, so I'm willing to let you simply rest for the month. I wouldn't want to push you into doing anything so strenuous so soon."

Her words earned the knight's curiosity, her lavender brows raised. "Your Majesty? Is there… something happening next month?"

"Indeed. The news haven't exactly been made public yet, but it will undoubtedly be the single biggest event in the history of both elves," her smile seemed to widen, only piquing Kizmel's interest even more. "For you see, Kizmel, I will be meeting the Forest Elf King, and bring forth peace for both our kingdoms."

A single blink. And then a second. And then.

"Oh."

"_Oh_? I was expecting a shout there."

To be fair, the readers and maybe everyone else were too.

"Forgive me, but that's… that's good! E-Extremely so," she added that last part with a small stutter, genuinely caught off-guard with what she heard. "I didn't think it would ever be possible… That's pleasing to hear."

"It is, isn't it?" Astra looked happy as well. "I'd actually received a letter from the king. The both of us shared a consensus that the current situation is… well, war is just no good. Spilling the blood of young men and women… none of us want that. Only peace can ensure that it will _never_ become a thing ever again. As such, on the fifth of next month, the Forest Elf King will come to our castle with an entourage of his own, and we shall sign a treaty that will promise everlasting peace between our two kingdoms."

Amazing… That her queen was so determined to give her people the safety and a prosperous future alongside the Forest Elves made her warm inside, beaming.

Peace. Such a concept with the enemy seems so foreign, but it was a pleasant thought. No longer would they have to be odds with one another any longer.

She would be lying to herself if she said that she despised the enemy. She wasn't an anti-Forest Elf as many of her comrades seemed to be, but duty remained a duty; and if that meant cutting them down, then she would simply carry it out, just as they would. But now, they had the opportunity to put away their swords and live together.

That was something she would happily accept, if it meant no more bloodshed.

"Ah…" A minor burn at the fore of her skull, her hand moving to massage it.

Her friend noticed, frowning. "Well, it doesn't exactly seem that you're still in the right of things… Very well. Kizmel, I'd like you to take the whole month off. You've earned it after all that you've done."

"I, ah… Are you certain of that?" She hardly felt worthy of such time off, but the thought of getting extra rest sounded nice. "If you wish it, Your Majesty… Thank you."

She was right. Sleep is the best medicine for everything, so some extra hours of sleep would do her well.

* * *

A week of no change would be a good excuse for her to seek out a practiced doctor, but she had a feeling that such a condition was just… abnormal. Not something that normal medicine would be able to remedy.

Some might call her stubborn, others would call her stupid. Kizmel found herself increasingly suspicious throughout the nights, dreaming of many things. And the elf found herself surprised by how much she dreamt throughout the nights, or even the things she found herself thinking of in her sleep.

There were so many faces. All that felt so familiar to her despite having met none of them. Many were human, some were… different entities altogether. And quite a large number of them weren't from Aincrad—what did that mean..?

One such face was one she had seen plenty of times in her mind before. The one that her heart called 'The Hero', shared the same aura with that human she'd met on the day of her 'death'. They looked so different, yet she somehow felt as if she knew him from so long ago…

And yet, that wasn't even the weirdest thing. She'd dreamt of something entirely new this time, following the emergence of her headaches; a knight atop his steed.

That was already such a strange thing to dream of, yet _what_ it was even more so. The 'horse' itself only seemed to possess the head and body. Its body was more akin to a spear, no limbs whatsoever, while the rider seemed to have a weapon pierced in its chest. It spoke no words yet seemed to resonate with her soul, and its lack of expression seemed to hide that of brave determination.

It was… so weird. What is that being?

There was a possibility that it was linked to the black swordsman she had met a week ago… three months ago? She couldn't be certain how time would work for her, but she knew that there must be some sort of connection between him, this being haunting her, and the prophesied Hero.

It was highly unlikely that he _is_ the one, but it felt too coincidental, to the point that it didn't feel that way. Or the headaches might have really affected her ability to actually remain sane and clear, and she's just losing it. That's possible too.

Honestly, tonight shouldn't have been any different. With so much free time now that she's relieved of her knightly duties, she practically had nothing to do. Plus, she was barred from any strenuous tasks, something of which she knew her friend and queen had something to do with; so doting she was that it was embarrassing.

When she looked up to the sky, it was as it had always been; a pitch black littered with countless stars, staring back at her and the world. The way the world seemed to whisper to her with the winds that blew almost had her on edge, but the cooling sensation against her skin was enough to remind her that she was truly safe and not in actual danger.

The courtyard is the same as always, though there were the lamps that gave off light, allowing her to see. Even then, that would have been wholly unnecessary, given Dark Elves and their natural ability to see in the darkness, but it brought a nice touch to the place. A warm yellow that dispelled the darkness. Made her feel safe.

"A waste of time to be out here… but the winds tonight are so pleasant," she muttered to herself, smiling as she felt her body naturally relax on its own. "So soothing…"

That night in particular would have been just like any other night, but in the month to come, Kizmel had understood that she was destined for change. That the world would constantly undergo shifts that would often most throw her in for countless loops, forced to adapt and overcome or become lost in it all.

The day she had returned, everything had changed for her.

It wasn't going to stop now.

"Erkha…" A soft groan as a fresh pang of pain hits her, a look of annoyance on her expression. "Damn it… Every time, it's—Aarh..!"

A stronger jab, this time forcing her to collapse to her knees amongst the blades of grass as the stinging sensation grows stronger, clutching her head with one hand as another grasps her knee, trying to find balance.

So focused on trying to lessen the mental pain—the thought of squeezing your own head to make your head hurt from a physical pain more than the headache sounds absurd, yet many find it strangely effective—that she hardly noticed how her shadow seemed to _waver_, let alone the ethereal blue flames that began to burn around her, brightening the area.

It was once she felt the pain begin to ebb away, replaced instead with heat that bathed her body and the area around her, did she notice how a shadow was thrown over her figure, which had her staring up. Violet eyes widened in shock.

There he is. The very chevalier that she had been dreaming of all these nights.

The horse neighed, a coarse sound that sounded like creaking steel. The rider was silent, staring down at her from where he was gripping the reins of his steed. He stared at her, and she was quiet, uncertain of what to feel.

This presence… it felt so powerful. So unlike anything that she's ever seen before. And it made her feel so little, so overwhelmed.

She understood. Death had been unable to claim her, so He had sent His reaper to come for him (she would be woefully surprised when Death and the Reaper are indeed, most often than not, the same thing). Why else would he be here now? Though he weld no scythe, it was clear that he was here to take her life.

"You are here to kill me, are you not..?" She asked to the rider, one eye shut.

No answer.

Of course… She was a fool to think that the Reaper would even think to answer her question. He came here for only purpose, and that was for her head.

She was meant to die… Right. She died a week ago, and somehow came back with her life. She was upsetting the balance of the world, and the Reaper has shown Himself only to claim what was rightfully His.

"…This is it then," she knew that she would have no strength to outrun, outmanoeuvre or outpower this being. It would do her well to simply lay down and accept her fate. "If you are here to take my life, so be it. I… I accept my—"

"**Dark Elf Kizmel,"** his voice had cut her off, painting surprise into her expression as his voice boomed out like a monster's growl. **"Knight who serves the Dark Elf Queen… That is who you are."**

"I… yes," small talk before her death? Well, she supposed it wouldn't hurt anyone. "That is me."

"**Your kingdoms, your people, your queen and king…"** There was a small pause, and his head craned back to stare up into the sky. **"Ruin is imminent, and death will come to all."**

All her life, ever since she had been a little girl who dreamt of becoming a knight, she understood that there would come many a time for when she would be forced to put herself in danger for a just cause. She had done so months ago (or, spiritually a week ago), but to hear of such dangers…

It send a chill down her bones, dread clogged in the back of her throat that made her feel sick. "W-What?"

"**The cards are in place, and it seems that many are fated to die soon"** he continued once more, his voice becoming hardened. **"Not all is lost, however, knight Kizmel. My comrades and I. We have been brought here on a mission, and to prevent ruin, it is only right that I lend you my aid."**

Lend her his aid? What did he mean by that?

She barely had any time to go down that path of thoughts, to properly ponder on his words before he suddenly lowered his body in what seemed like a bow, his horse lowering its head as well.

"**I am Castor, and I am yours to command."**

The next few days were complicated, and quite honestly, tiring.

The headaches had disappeared almost immediately; a silver lining that she appreciated greatly, though it came with the fact that, nowadays, she was filled with nothing but absolute paranoia.

One could wonder just what terrifies her so each and every night, but when an ethereal being shows up in front of you in the middle of the night and tells you that _ruin_ was coming, you know that things are really serious.

It didn't help that Castor couldn't exactly predict _when_ this danger would occur, only that it was in the _near_ future. It had her shaken up, but she hid it well behind polite smiles and regal distance.

Something big was coming, and it spelt the end of all elves. It was quite a harrowing thought, and with the knowledge of such, what could she possibly do with it?

Tell the queen? No, that was a bad idea. A month from now, there would be the peace treaty that she would have to see to, and she wasn't hoping to add any distractions for her. Her family was immediately out of the question as well, as making them worry would make matters worse—they might think to take her away so that she would be safe.

What made things worse was that her queen would _allow_ it.

So little choices, so little plans. Save for one, however…

"_**We have been brought here on a mission, and to prevent ruin, it is only right that that I lend you my aid."**_

Quite frankly, she didn't understand what that meant. But given his offer, it made sense that he might be able to do _something_ about it. He was powerful, after all, and she had a good feeling that he might just be able to help.

So where did that bring her? In the forest in the middle of the night, alone and armless.

Except she had both arms, had weapons and had Castor—although, it seemed that she couldn't communicate to him unless she summoned him.

And she did so with just a thought of him, blue flames dancing around him as the black chevalier formed out of thin air. He didn't look any different, nor did he sound any different when he brought his voice to a steady tone. **"Kizmel."**

"Castor," she nodded, a greeting so simple that it was still comfortable. "I… require your assistance."

"**Of course,"** nodded the rider. **"What can I help you with?"**

"Why… No, that would not be the right question. _How_ can you help?" She asked, grasping one arm. "I mean it not to insult you, of course, but I wish to know… what are you capable of?"

"**A reasonable question,"** he said. **"Though I would delve into **_**what**_** I am, I can only seek to teach you the simplest of simple things. Kizmel, I shall teach you how to use my strength in battle."**

Use his strength in battle… What an odd way of putting it, but if he was fine with fighting under her commands, then she could only hope that she'd be able to live up to his expectations.

"**However, be warned that what comes next shall be difficult and taxing on both your body and mind. Overuse my power, and you may damage yourself beyond repair. Are you still willing to—"**

"Yes."

There had never been any doubt in that. If it meant sacrificing herself for everyone's future, then it mattered little what would happen to her. So long as everyone else lived to see brighter days, then she would happily go down.

But not without a fight. _Never_ without a fight.

"…**I see. You are convicted on this, and shan't change your mind,"** he sounded pleased, if his tone small chuckle gave anything away. **"Very well. I am Castor, and I am your Persona. Prepare yourself, for I shall not pull anything back."**

She wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

* * *

5th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 9, Dark Elf Queen's Castle

The day for peace had come, and Kizmel had never prayed any harder for things to go well. Literally, she spent an entire two hours in a prayer room to make offerings and the like.

She knew far too much, and yet all too little all the same—she knew what would come, yet she didn't know it's time, nor did she understand just what Castor's words actually meant. But, for the sake of her queen, she willed herself to shove these thoughts aside and focused on keeping calm.

After showing no more signs of tire and headaches, the queen had been happy to involve her in the ceremony, though she had been a little reluctant, worry almost making her decide to keep her out of things until she had formally requested that she be allowed to partake in the ceremony.

The song of trumpets and drums was loud, booming. It rung across the entire kingdom and castle, alerting all that were still in their homes of the incoming presence of the Forest Elves. And though it took some time (late by a minute or two, really), they had finally shown up.

And had she thought that her queen could be scary when she was in a no-nonsense mood, then she hadn't met the King of Forest Elves.

He was tall, incredibly so, with green robes that befitted a mage or a librarian more than it did him, although the adornment of medals and unique-looking charms on his cloak made up for what should have been a simple look. His pearly blue eyes were sharp, cautious, his gait alone demanding respect. With him, many other Forest Elves that refrained from looking anyone in the eye.

She'd expected there to only be his entourage, but that would have been risky. So the streets were filled to the brim with elves of both kinds, a mix of colours and personalities that awed her.

"You have arrived, Your Highness," the queen was the textbook definition of prim and proper; dressed in an elegant blue dresses with a golden necklace around her neck, and with makeup to put other nobles to shame, she made a curtsey towards the king. "It is a pleasure to have you with us. I hope there has been no such problem on your end?"

"It is of no concern, Your Majesty. Some stray beasts, though they were easily manageable thanks to my men," he gestured to the ones that were accompanying him. "Nonetheless, I do apologize for my delay. It was not part of my intention to keep you waiting."

"Oh, you needn't worry about that. Besides, you aren't so behind," with a grin, she gestured towards the castle. "If you would."

Kizmel gulped, keeping a furtive glance on the king as all of them walked together. The song still played, and it took all her effort not to cringe when the music rose in its pitch.

The path to the castle was paved… well, not in blood, but with a red carpet that the maids had taken extreme care in cleaning and ironing out its folds. There was some small chatter here, mostly about typical things like hobbies and their current economical situations. Some mundane stuff, then some fun things, and back and forth.

The Dark Elf accompanied her friend silently, switching her gaze from the king to her surroundings; the pillars, the seats, the walls, the workers, the bushes, the courtyard. Something bad was going to happen, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go horribly wrong today, of all days.

She prayed that it was just her mind playing tricks on her, and not a sense of foreboding.

They entered the throne room. Spacious and massive, where all eyes were on them as they sat on the row of seats prepared. The bluebloods took their place at the long dark wood table at the front, the throne put aside just for this occasion as they agreed for one thing; equality. To the queen's left, her trusted Dark Elves, and to his right, his own subordinates.

There were countless of reporters, writing down into their notepads at the speed of flying arrows. Indeed, this was an incredibly event, and all eyes were on the conference. There was no one who wouldn't want to be here as everything goes down.

And from there, everything seemed right. The king seemed relatively comfortable, and that was good. It meant that things were going smoothly. Kizmel had felt very foolish to have worried about things from the beginning. It wasn't like anything bad could happen.

Unknown to her, in that very moment, the creator of this world had decided to be a little less honourable than how he should have been and pitted three powerful monsters against the Hero, along with his human allies. A deadly battle to the death proceeded while she, oblivious, watched their surroundings for anything strange.

The sounds of paper shuffling was aplenty, as was the sign of hands and pens moving, being dragged across many formal documents to sign the peace treaty. There were many words exchanged and many promises made, and she felt content to know that the conference was coming to a close soon enough.

They could finally put an end to their years-long feud. They could put an end to their hatred towards one another.

She'd never wanted something more in her life.

'Aah..!' A brief stab into the back of her skull, forcing her to grit her teeth and hope no one took notice, much less so the queen. 'I thought it has…'

Danger.

Violet eyes widened as her neck snapped in one direction, then to the next. Something… Something was here. Something terrible! S-She didn't know where it was!

The ceiling? Amongst the people? Hiding behind a wall? Her mind was a haywire, yet it stubbornly refused to believe that they were safe. There was _something_ here!

"…and as such, would it not be a worthwhile endeavour to—Hmm?" The king of the Forest Elves looked to her, quirking a brow. "Is something the matter?"

"A-Ah. No, Your Highness," she bit down on the urge to groan, heart palpitating as she struggled to prevent revealing anything. "I just—"

_Clamped down_.

Kizmel fell to the ground howling in pain, followed suit by a chorus of fear-induced screams that fill the throne room as the world _cracked_, and monsters descended from the heavens.

Everything was moving.

And so was her.

Kizmel wanted to stop to take a breath, however. Her body felt so heavy, so suddenly out of shape that it begged her to rest. Yet the beating of her heart was a war drum that helped her push through the exhaustion, her blade cleaving through the enemies before her.

No… Not enemies. _Shadows_.

"**Hrah!"** A great stab forwards pierces the gut of a humanoid creature, though she'd been too focused on her own fight to care. **"Be cautious of your surroundings, Kizmel! We cannot lose no matter the cost!"**

"O-Of course..!" She dodged a beast's lunge, bringing her sword down into its nape that kills it in one blow. She moves backwards, bumping into an elven soldier—Dark or Forest was a trivial matter—before she charged forwards, the sound of his screaming burnt into her mind.

Why? Why was this happening?

Everyone around her, everyone seemed to be in a struggling battle against one monster or another. Entities that went beyond normal, slaughtering her kind and that of the Forest Elves with magic, claws and fangs. A soldier she knew met his end with a blade through his throat, his gurgles unable to leave her mind whatsoever.

"We need to move!" Yelled Kizmel over the fire that consumed the castle. There was no use trying to put it out. The fire had come too quickly, and it was now a blazing inferno. Fighting the flames would be a suicidal task. "Her Majesty and His Majesty must be escorted to a safer place!"

Several knights shouted in affirmation, breaking through the line of yellow-furred monsters and black ooze. To her flank, a couple of soldiers were engaged in battle against literal birds of light, getting blasted apart by energy shots.

Kizmel shot forwards without thinking, narrowly avoiding getting crushed beneath cracked stone and rubble. Her sword deflected a slash from a red demon's polearm, the impact behind its attack rattling her bones as she gritted her teeth, leaping away to avoid getting struck down.

Bad. This was so bad. Where did these things come from? Why did they attack? The ceremony was so close to its end! Everything should have gone perfectly!

"**Watch out!"** Castor was summoned from a burst of blue flames as he rammed the body of his steed into a massive white lion, knocking it into a group of other Shadows. **"There are too many. We cannot outlast them. We must leave now if we are to—"**

"We need to find Her Majesty!" She shouted, looking around in an attempt to find her. A difficult task, as the fire brought smoke to limit vision, and everything was almost indistinguishable. "Damn it..! Let's move!"

Castor returned into her soul, and the headache she'd felt lessened. Summoning him took a lot more effort than she'd thought…

Breaking through the flames and arriving at the courtyard, countless elves were in battle against the Shadows. No, it was more a slaughter, and she swallowed down the bile in her throat as she ran ahead, screaming in her head as she could do nothing more but to apologize for her weakness.

Her blade was drawn and moved in a fluid motion, decapitating the head of a lion that was crushing a soldier beneath it. She continued to run forwards, cutting her way through the mobs that have blocked her path. And when too many stood blocking her…

Castor would come, her headache would grow threefold, and he would be able to sweep them apart with much ease.

"**There she is!"** He yelled, pointing off in one direction.

'Your Majesty..!' The small pang of relief and joy was translated into strengthened morale as she ran towards the group of elves that were surrounding the royal carriages. Silver hair disappeared into the vehicle. 'They're safe! I just need to reach them and—'

Metal _tore_ through her abdomen as a spear poked right through her back, cutting off air in her system as she hacked, falling to the ground as pain _lanced_ through her entire being.

No, no..! She was so close! She couldn't..!

Kizmel grunted, ignoring everything as she pushed one arms forwards, then her leg. It was becoming increasingly hard to see, her vision blurry as the image of the carriage in the distance gradually lost colour.

"**You are foolish,"** her head snapped upwards, shock filling her at the sight of the Shadow actually _talking_ to her. **"What is destined cannot be changed, no matter how much you claw at that feeble trace of hope you see. What good comes from struggling so much, hmm?"**

"Y-You…" Who was this? A human, it seemed, but unnaturally tall in white armour with a scarf. Those emotionless eyes were a tell-tale sign that what stared down at her was a Shadow, and nothing more.

"**Watch, knight,"** he gazed away from her, to the carriages that had already begun moving away towards the forest. **"Watch, as the will of our creator is enacted, and **_**order**_** is brought forth."**

'No… No!' Fear racked her being as her head snapped back towards the carriage, her pleas becoming only weak gurgles. The weapon in her body made it hard to think. To do anything. 'Astra, don't! You can't die!'

The carriage had just begun to move, countless horsemen with bows ready to snipe down whatever stood in their way… before a massive being _slammed_ its figure into the carriage that carried the royalty. She screamed as the king and queen were forcibly thrown out, their retainers and defenders were picked off, one by one, by blue-feathered beasts with lion heads.

The king had drawn his blade to fight the massive thing, ready to make his stand.

His sword struck true, but all it got him was a powerful punch to the jaw, killing him in an instant before bursting into crystal fragments.

What had Kizmel trained all these years for?

She was a knight who swore an oath that she would protect her queen and her people at all times. Yet now, she was reduced to a mess with a weapon in her back as she watched uselessly as… **Kin-Ki**… approached the crawling woman, lifting her into the air with one hand clasped tightly around her throat as she flailed uselessly.

And then, as the other hand reached for her head, Astra was no more.

* * *

7th January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 5, Dungeons

It hurt.

It _hurt_.

It _**HURT**_.

Kizmel was _burning_. Writhing as air was being pulled out of her lungs and something tight was wrapped around her throat. She'd barely noticed the way flames seemed to slither across the walls and ground, or how the eyes that popped out of the walls were all _saying_ things.

Whispering, muttering, chanting.

It was all she could do but tune out every little detail for the claws that gripped her throat grew tighter, her vision blurring out as she struggled to remain consciousness, Kin-Ki seemingly content with watching her squirm weakly in whatever phantom had her in its grasp.

Yet, despite everything, her mind could only focus on one single thing.

She'd failed.

It couldn't be… All this time, she'd been trying to find a way to get back to the ninth floor to save Astra and the king. To ensure that peace could indeed be secured between both the Forest Elves and Dark Elves. That their rulers would be with them no matter what, and they would be able to move forwards together.

Yet all was for naught. Every soldier slain, both monarchs brutally killed and herself… lost. Without reason. Without purpose.

'What have I been fighting for..?' Had all her efforts amounted to this? To a crushing defeat at the hands of these dastardly Shadows? To a deathly recollection of the truth behind everything?

To lead her friends to their deaths? No, no… S-She, she couldn't just accept that…

"**I must admit, I was surprised that one such elf had managed to escape, though it means nothing in the end,"** Kin-Ki's words were barely registered in her feeble mind, as bitter defeat crushed what remained of her will. **"You'll be meeting your people soon enough. Once you die alongside your comrades, of course."**

That's… That's for the best, isn't it? If there was nothing good coming out of this… then, then at the very least, she—

Castor comes forth from a burst of flames. But this time, they weren't blue.

Angry red fire spouted from beneath her feet.

There was nothing in the room anymore. Not the flames that ate away at the floors and walls, or even her friends who called out for her. No, all that she could see were dead bodies, spilt blood and her own failure.

Kizmel, for the second time in her life, snapped. Fled, as cowardice took her away from the people she loved once more.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry for the Late update, with a capital 'L' there. Been busy here and there, but really, it's mostly because I wanted to get the next chapter prepared before I post this one. That's how I work, and I didn't think the next chapter was going yo take _so long_..!

Anyways, all of that aside, all is fine now. And on a side note; a brief spoilers for _Persona 5 Royal_, and a look into _Persona 3_. So be warned.

Personae are, essentially, just Shadows that a person can overcome and control. And Shadows are susceptible to going out of control. This has actually been demonstrated a couple of times.

Back in the original _Persona 5_, Crow has shown that he has the power to induce madness into Shadows to make them go berserk.

In _Persona 5 Royal_, when Violet experiences the heart-breaking recollection of her buried memories, her Persona goes berserk. Sure, Maruki does some stuff to her too, but essentially, her inability to accept the painful truth makes her Persona go berserk.

In _Persona 3_, the same occurs to Castor. I didn't play the game, nor did I watch the anime, but I did read up on the wiki a bit. And from what I do know, Castor went berserk during a SEES mission, which ended up with him destroying Ken's house. I don't know _why_ it went berserk, but it did. It happened a second time, if I'm not mistaken.

So I'm _kind of_ trying the same formula here, in case you can't tell. I wanted to add more scenes about Kizmel trying to recall little bits and memories, but I've essentially just rushed that part, so I missed my chance. Damn. Well, past is in the past. All we've got now is the present and the future.


	16. Losing Control

Chapter XI : **L**osing Control

* * *

7th January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 5, Dungeons

Vabel witnessed, before her, not the awakening of a person's Persona. A process of breaking the chains that hold down on our old, weaker selves. To break free of such limits and embrace the strength the inner soul always possessed, but never had the chance to be expressed.

No. This was something worse.

'This… Castor is going berserk,' the aura it exuded was thick, filled with malice and grief amplified from Kizmel's being. 'Just like back then…'

The massive horse was wild, groaning as it spasmed. It was an uncontrollable force, a daunting thing that has refused any control from any master. Red eyes glowed from the rider's eyes as he stared down the humans from where he sat atop his horse, both towering over their host.

Kizmel.

She was crying.

"Kizmel!" She looked to Kirito, who looked so distraught. He wanted to reach her, but the flames around them prevented them from approaching her. And she'd doubted Kin-Ki would have just sat back and let them do so. "You bastard! What did you do to our friend?!"

"**I simply reminded her of the truth,"** it said with little to no remorse, its stance unassuming. **"Yet her inability to accept it is her own folly. That she suffers now is her own fault."**

"Like hell!" Lisbeth cocked her mace back, everyone readying their weapons. "You clearly did something to her that she became like that! Don't even lie to us!"

He did. It was his actions that seemed to trigger something in their elven friend. And all of a sudden, Kizmel was screaming as she got pulled into the air, Castor keeping one grip over her throat with one hand while the other kept a tight grip over the reins.

Either something really did turn her berserk, or her Persona succumbed to her depression. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"Everyone, change of plans! We need to get Kizmel out of here! Her Persona's went berserk, so we might need to fight it down!" Kirito's orders had her drawing her rapier on automatic. "Leave Kin-Ki to me! Don't stay too long or you'll get caught up in the fire! Asuna, take the other players and get them out of here! We're heading out of this dungeon!"

"**Not so fast!"**

"Kh..!"

The golden being moved much faster than she gave it credit, somehow appearing before Kirito in a flash before throwing a swift jab at him. Both swords formed a cross to block the attack as he was sent flying backwards, only to then throw himself back at it, Arsene summoned and striking back.

She averted her gaze from her leader, focused now on the rampaging Castor. He hadn't moved just yet, merely staring them down with such a heat in its gaze that unnerved her.

Asuna was already herding the other group of players out of the dungeon, which made things a lot easier. They wouldn't have to worry about their safety, though now they had their own to be concerned about; either getting killed by Kin-Ki, a berserk Castor or getting burnt alive—she was certain she wasn't the only one who would prefer surviving.

"**nO uSe…"** The rider spoke in a cranky, mechanical voice as it craned its head in one direction. **"aLl sHaLl DiE iN tHe EnD, sO wHy BoThEr..?"**

Each Persona was a reflection of one's soul. A physical manifestation of one's inner weakness, fears, strengths and emotions. Just as Kirito had shown, he possessed a rather powerful spirit that showed in Arsene's versatility, showing no such weakness whatsoever.

Yet here she was. Her friend whose soul housed Castor, the very same Persona that Shinjiro Aragaki weld to his final moments in life. He met his end by a bullet. Would Kizmel die here as well?

A spark of anger. Vabel didn't realize when she'd suddenly moved forwards, but she knew that she couldn't let it happen!

* * *

*Clank!*

Kin-Ki was resistant to physical hits. By that rule, there was just no use to strike it with any form of direct attacks, knowing that they wouldn't help anyone.

And yet…

_Clang_!

_Clang_!

_Clang_!

"**You are wasting your time."**

"Shut up, shut up, _shut up_!"

An intense pair of black eyes were focused solely on the golden being before him as he moved faster than he had before, Annealed Blade striking uselessly against Kin-Ki's body while Arsene unleashed «Curse» magic, one blast after another.

Kizmel's screaming had stopped a while ago, yet the pain still resonated within his soul. Just hearing the utter _despair_ in his friend's voice hurt him immensely, and he couldn't think of anything else.

Not the fire or his safety. This bastard hurt his friend, and he was going to use it as his anger outlet.

He dodged a swift jab, then the next hook, and the next haymaker. With no weapon of his own and Kirito's far superior speed, he was able to dodge each blow with little difficulty and returned the attacks viciously. He knew the damage he was inflicting did very little compared to what Arsene managed, but he didn't care.

"Hiyah!" A swift «Slant» into its shoulder was translated into a «Vertical» that cut down into its abdomen, leaving a bright red gash in its body that _finally_ drew out a pained curse from the Shadow. "Arsene!"

The demon smashed his fist into Kin-Ki's cheek, amplified by dark energy that shattered the remains of its health. It felt so good to watch as the Shadow disintegrated into black smoke, a mark of its death, yet the laughter that faded away into thin air did nothing to ease the boiling blood in his veins.

No. No more. The Shadow was dead, and focusing anymore on it would do nothing more. Kizmel was of priority now. He needed to—

"_Eeey_aah!"

"Eh? W-Whoa!"

Something was falling right down towards him. He moved on instinct, backpedalling to catch the girl in his arms, surprised at the pair of tails. "Silica?"

"K-Kirito-san!" She stuttered out a cry before a horrified look overtook her expression, a finger pointed at Castor. "W-We can't hurt him!"

'Huh?' He turned his head to the scene of everyone fighting against Castor… and he could clearly see how nothing they were doing made even a single thing to the horseman, who wasn't even lashing out. "The heck? What do you mean you can't hurt him?"

"I-It's exactly that! Nothing we do to it makes a single change!We really used all our powerful «Sword Skills», but it's like it's immune to everything we do!"

"**An immunity to physical damage? My, my. What a powerful Persona Lady Kizmel possesses,"** he stared in shock at his Persona's words. First a resistance, now an _immunity_? Talk about freaking broken! **"What do we do?"**

"Urgh… Shit, so we can't even fight her?" He discarded the sudden thought of turning her into a tank, if only because it wasn't the right time and she _so_ didn't fit the category of a tank. More of a rogue assa—hey! Thoughts later! "Crap, what do we do..? Wait, it's starting to move!"

The horseman suddenly seemed to whirl about, the horse wildly shaking about as it tried to find a direction. Everyone were shaken off for just a while before they returned to dishing out attacks, yet he could see it now; their attacks didn't really bounce off of it, yet there just didn't seem to be any sort of effect achieved.

But he couldn't even think about that. All he could focus on was Kizmel, who remained trapped in Castor's grip, her defeated expression somehow delivering to him the words in her soul…

'_No more…_'

"Oh… shit! They're trying to run away! Kizmel!"

Everyone screamed her name, yet nothing they did seemed to faze the elf. Desperate pleas that fell upon deaf ears as she remained listless, her clear surrender to the situation at hand a painful dagger to the heart that forced him to charge towards Castor, even as Silica cried out for him.

Arsene was summoned by his will, an amalgamation of dark energy spewing forth and bursting against Castor's body, yet the damage wasn't as high as he hoped it was. Was it a high resistance to magic, or a natural resistance to «Curse» magic itself?

Damn it, what was he supposed to do then?! He couldn't think of any other way to stop Castor! The power of the Persona was just one he was woefully unprepared to deal with, and certainly too powerful to handle with just a measly amount of ideas! If they didn't stop her, they'd escape!

And damn everything, he refused to believe it! Kizmel was stronger than this, he knew so! She was his friend! A girl he'd fought alongside for so long, it was as if they knew each other for a lifetime! There was no way she'd—

'_Good…bye…_'

"_Kiiizmeeeeeel_!"

The stallion brayed as it trounced forwards, its imposing body almost crashing into the black-haired boy. At the very last second, survival instincts took over and he was forced to throw himself to the side, avoiding getting in its way and getting rammed into.

"Kizmel!" He yelled one more time, reaching out for her. She was still moving, though, and he'd watched her leave. "Kizmel! Shit, where is she heading to?!"

Through all the flames and smoke, he couldn't make out where she was heading to. This room in itself was removed from the rest of the dungeons in a way that made it almost impossible to locate the exit from here. Was Kizmel planning to escape through the entrance, then?

No. If she was, she'd be intercepted by Asuna. And she, even in her lack of self-control, was able to reel in her Persona to prevent him from harming anyone.

Which meant that she…

'She was able to somehow break through the boss monsters and get here. How?' Logic dictated that it was because she was an NPC, and the game _wanted_ them to meet. Yet such logic couldn't work anymore. Not with reason simply thrown out of the window and the world operating more on utter madness than anything else. 'There must be a path!'

"Kirito-san..!" A high-pitched cry was followed up by a small cough. Silica's eyes were watery, likely unable to tolerate the smoke of the room. "What do we do..?!"

His heart yelled for him to chase after Kizmel. That's what it wanted.

And he'd be damned if he didn't follow through.

"Silica, take the others and go first! I'm going after Kizmel!" His command wasn't well-received, judging by the look of horror on her face. He had to cut her retort short with a raise of his voice. "We don't have time! I'll be fine, just go! I'll be right behind you with Kizmel, hauled over my shoulder if I have to! Go!"

There wasn't even a chance for the younger girl to respond before the Beta Tester took off, using his superior speed to leave her far behind as he chased after the fleeing Dark Elf.

He cursed through the flames. There was no way he was going to leave his friend behind, no matter the cost!

As the black-haired boy gave chase to his fleeing friend whilst the rest of his teammates reluctantly flee from the burning dungeon, a single figure watches him from afar. Beautiful teal hair seem to glow for just a second before it walked away, towards the exit.

* * *

"Gah..! Ah, fresh air! Grhk..!"

"C-Careful, Ducker..!"

Smoke billowed out into the open world from the entrance of the dungeons, everyone coughing as they fell to their knees and hands, breathing in large gulps of virtual air that refreshed their systems. Light-headedness gave way for clarity, the greens around them finally coming into vision alongside the black particles of smoke, the blue of the sky and the whites of the clouds.

If this was the real world, her heart would have been beating nonstop from how exhausted she was from running. As it was, she was grateful that her bodily 'exhaustion' faded away with comparatively less than it actually would IRL, and soon enough she could think clearly once more.

"H-Hey, is everyone here..?" She heard Sasamaru asked, brown hair bobbing as he looked around in confusion. "We're, uhh… are we missing anyone?"

Asuna quickly made a count of all the heads in the area, was satisfied to know that all five players from the Moonlit Black Cats had made it out. That left her friends still inside, possibly fighting Castor to get Kizmel.

"Kirito and his group are still back there…" Panted Sachi, clutching her knees as she tried to steady her breathing. "I think… He was trying to get her to… They were fighting that… that _thing_. What do we do now?"

Her question prompted all of them to look back at the entrance, which was still ablaze. No damage had been done to the environment save for scorching of the grass and terrain, though there was no denying how hot it was. Even with the distance they'd claimed from it, they could still feel the heat against their faces.

Asuna gulped. There was… Kirito's Persona didn't necessary include a resistance to fire, but he was still strong. She knew that. The others, though…

"We… We're going back in there. Everyone, get your gear again. We need to go back and help somehow," once Keita recovered his breath enough to speak, he got back on his feet and faced the dungeon entrance. He'd been ready to march right back in there until Ducker stopped him. He frowned. "Ducker?"

"Dude, are you crazy?! That place was intense! I mean, don't get me wrong, I'd love to help! But if we try now? We'll only get ourselves killed! Don't you think we'd be acting a little recklessly?" She asked with a concerned tone, facing everyone as he spoke. "I mean… Kirito specifically told us to escape, not to go back in and save them. And we'd probably put ourselves in danger if we did, so…"

"So we're just meant to leave them in there?" He challenged. "I… I can't do that! Kirito just rescued my teammates and I, and we're just meant to stand by and do nothing?"

The Moonlit Black Cats were divided amongst themselves. The dagger-wielding blond was clearly against the idea, as was the green-clothed individual. The girl and the other boy seemed intent on going back in to find the two.

Asuna couldn't move. Ducker's words were true, but her heart disagreed. Were they simply meant to _wait_ for them to come? It was such a dangerous thought, leaving them behind like this, and she struggled with the dissonance within her; her duty demanded she stand by and watch over her them. Her heart desired her to go back in there and save Kirito.

And Kizmel too! What happened back there? Was she and Kin-Ki somehow related? It seemed to recognize her back there, and a horrible feeling bubbled in her gut as she thought of what—

"_We're coming through_!"

"Ah, Argo!"

Asuna's heart palpitated as she watched the rest of her group finally exiting the dungeons, Silica yelping as fire seemed to flow overhead, forcing her to duck. She was practically bursting with relief as she reached Lisbeth's side, the other girl panting lightly as she accepted her help to move farther away from the entrance. The others followed suit.

"Thank goodness… All of you are alright," she whispered, looking between each of them with a warm smile. That was, until she'd noticed two people missing. "Wait a minute. Where's Kirito-kun and Kizmel-chan?"

Silence became a much greater distinction as everyone seemed to lose their voices altogether, all quieting down as they traded uncertain glances with one another. The earlier feeling of dread that had been snuffed out came back stronger.

She looked from Lisbeth, to Vabel, to Silica. No one seemed to want to say anything, until someone finally broke the silence.

"Kirito… is in pursuit of Kizmel as we speak," Vabel's revelation left her and the Moonlit Black Cats reeling. He… She wasn't being serious. He couldn't really think that he could… Could he? "He had given us the order to return to Castle Yofel for the moment while he chases after Kizmel. We are not to follow him."

"W-What..?" Asuna felt cold sweat wash over her being, and what a strange sensation. To feel such within a virtual world when she knew she couldn't sweat, feel pain or even grow tired. Yet now, she could feel all of that and more as her mind attempted to come to terms with what Vabel had just told her. "B-But that's dangerous! Why'd he go on his own?"

"Because that gives him the best chance of pursuing Kizmel," there was no pride in her words. Only bitter embarrassment in her tone that reflected her own feelings on the matter. "He is the only one with a Persona, after all. Were we to follow, we'd only hold him back and put ourselves at risk."

That… That wasn't fair! That's not how it worked at all! They were supposed to be a team! They were meant to fight together, no matter how difficult things got!

Asuna felt her heart drop. She… There was no way. How? Were they supposed to just leave them? And Kizmel! There was just no way that she'd—

Screaming. Crying. Anguish.

The memory of her elven friend in pain came to mind, and Asuna couldn't help the way she almost teared up. That was… What happened back there? What did Kin-Ki do to her? What was going on here? Why did her Persona finally awaken like… like _that_?

"We… They're gone…" She wasn't sure whose voice it was, but all she knew that she couldn't bear to believe them. There was no way. "You're kidding me…"

"We're anything _but_. And at this point, I'm more pissed than anything else to joke around," if her unsteady breathing didn't already say it, then she was certain Argo was probably just breathing fast for the fun of it. Her scowl said otherwise. "Damn it, damn it, damn it..! What do we do now?"

Pursue Kirito and Kizmel. Or return to Castle Yofel.

Risk against safety.

Her heart against orders.

What… What should they do? They can't just… She can't just leave her friends like that. Wasn't she supposed to be strong enough to protect the both of them?

"Perhaps… Perhaps we need a moment of respite to think on our next course of action," Vabel's counsel was a suitable one, yet she stared at the flames. Her body tense and eyes strained. It was easy to imagine what she _really _wanted to do. "That… Those are his orders, I believe."

Easy to say, yet none of them really wanted to leave. Vabel may have been right, but she didn't want to leave. Were they just meant to hope that their friends would be fine?!

And yet, as Argo wordlessly turned about and made her way back to town, the members of the party they saved earlier exchanging nervous glances amongst themselves before they trailed behind her. The rest of their party followed as well.

She turned back one more time towards the entrance of the dungeon. A hand on her shoulder and a muted 'She'll be okay…' has her hoping, more than ever, that Lisbeth's words were true.

* * *

The Floor 5 dungeons had been avoided for many a week by players and NPC's alike, following Argo's scouts discovery of three Shadows guarding the entrance to the boss room. It was with that reason that everyone agreed to steer clear of the dungeons.

The return of the Summoner Swordsman's party that day was with good news, and they were welcomed into Karluin with applause and cheers from every person. However, not all was positive.

Today's events shook the foundations of the world once more, a constant reminder that 'Sword Art Online' has gone from a death game to a death game determined to _kill_ them. Perhaps the concept of otherworldly monsters hadn't really registered in anyone's minds save for the Summoner Swordsman and his party—and it was intentional, as they'd wanted to avoid inciting mass panic amongst the players and explain the bizarre concept of things coming from beyond the game—but there was no denying the great dangers that have come upon them.

What shocked most of them, however, was the apparent appearance of _another_ Persona user. Kizmel, the very same Dark Elf that had accompanied the Summoner Swordsman, had somehow experienced the process of awakening her Persona during their battle with the Shadows, though not in the same fashion as he had.

And now, both she and the Summoner Swordsman were missing.

News spread like wildfire. Another Persona user! Yet, with the disappearance of both, the loss of power was greatly felt by the players. After all, for as infamous as he may be, he was an ally whose constant presence gave others the strength to push on.

They'd taken it for granted. And now, with him gone, people were terrified.

Ironically, everyone else had been bothered by her absence as well. After all, with Kizmel having been part of the party for so long, and seen very regularly on the frontlines, she had been established as a constant sight. And losing a familiar face had infected them with the same discomfort those close to her experienced.

Their absence left the rest of the party in grave distress, however. And not many, not even the hard-headed Kibaou, dared mock him.

Even so, everyone got back on their feet. With the Shadows gone, the self-nominated acting leader Argo had been quick to return to work immediately after. She issued an order to her scouts and Kingsmen to begin a thorough search across the upcoming floors upon the defeat of Fuscus. Countless players and NPC's alike volunteered to keep a look-out for the elf. From floor one to floor four, the search had been extensive.

And like that, with Fuscus the Vacant Colossus defeated and The Irrational Cube slain and floors six and seven unlocked, two weeks had come and gone.

* * *

20th January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 4, Yofel Castle

Argo loved teasing people. She was, as some would call her, the devil. Really though, she's The Rat more than anything else, but she supposed she couldn't blame them for their assumptions.

It was just a lot of fun to rile someone up and get under their skin. Seeing their reactions and watching their ego-defense coming into play as they tried to save face. It was refreshing to see their reactions and just typically watch them break down without her needing to do more.

Kirito always had the best reactions. Asuna, doubly so. The other girls had their cute variations of denials, shock and anger that really made it fun. Vabel and Kizmel were difficult to crack, though, and she would just delight in the day when she'd finally get to break down that wall and watch them squirm in embarrassment.

Really, she'd had plenty of moments when she got to tease her friends. Like right now, while she's lying on her bed in the bedroom she's sharing with Asuna and Koharu, the former entered the room with a look that certainly did not fit her whatsoever. She met her target with a hearty huff, crashing atop it in a prone fashion. The mattress sunk slightly underneath her weight, the cloth quivering as she groaned into it.

So unladylike.

Say what you might about The Rat—that she was selfish, greedy, and a huge pain all around. But she was also someone who understood people well. She could see through façades and masks that people wear, staring right through them and reading their hearts. The one person she felt most proud of understanding the most had to be Kirito; he was standoffish, serious, cursed a lot sometimes and sometimes awkward. But he was also loyal, protective of his friends—she couldn't ignore how he often trained alone to be countless levels above them. All for the sake of being able to watch their backs.

And if she could read the Summoner Swordsman? It made sense that she could understand how other people ticked, and Asuna _definitely_ radiated the aura of a pish-posh girl. The kind who lived in a mansion and had servants. Her parents probably raised her to be, as they say, comme il faut.

So really, what would her parents say if they see their daughter being so unlike herself? She was practically being _lazy_! And lazy was just something no one would _ever_ relate to Asuna!

Argo had about a thousand teases to use. But in that moment, she found herself just… lacking the energy to say anything.

She shifted a little to the side to give him space. "You okay?"

"_Not really…_" Her response was muffled in the mattress. Sensing this, she shifted so that her cheek was on the bed now, looking to her left. "Argo-san, I don't get it… How does Kirito-kun tolerate Kibaou? I just can't…" Her cheeks puffed out as she swallowed the curse (most likely Kirito's influence) before shouting something else. "I can't stand him!"

She rolled her eyes. Yeah, she empathised with her on that front. Kibaou wasn't the easiest person to do just about anything with; talk with, train with, fight with. Too greedy, too selfish and all-too prideful. In his head, the world revolved around him, and he was always right. She hated those kinds of assholes.

She pitied Kirito, really, she did. But if there was one thing that Kirito exceeded her that wasn't combat (because let's face it, he's the best at that compared to everyone else), it was patience. And knowing just how good he was at keeping a calm composure in most instances, it made sense to make him their representative in the boss raid meetings.

And that meant meeting other important people like Lind and… uurgh. _Kibaou_.

She wished she could join him, but she would usually be having meetings with her Kingsmen and scouts. The other girls would struggle to find any reason that they couldn't join him, if only they couldn't breathe in the same room as the cactus-haired guy.

Kirito didn't mind. In fact, he's always expressed how glad he was that they didn't show up, if only so that they didn't have to deal with the crap he had to put up with.

Nonetheless, with him gon… that is, temporarily missing-in-action, someone had to represent their group. And Asuna had made the brave (albeit foolish) decision to go in their stead.

The look of utter despair on her friend's face said it all.

"There, there, Aa-chan. Think about it like this. The moment Kii-bou gets back, you'll _never_ have to see his face ever again. Well, except in raid battles, but that's beside the point."

"I suppose you're right… Then again, you'd be surprised to hear that he's planning something quite beneficial," and she quirked a brow in genuine surprise at the thought of _Kibaou _of all people doing something actually _good _for once. "Apparently, he's looking forward to forming a guild called the Aincrad Liberation Squad or something once we reach floor nine. And then, Lind will form the Divine Dragons Alliance," she sighed. "Talk about busy."

Heh. Took one to know one. And wasn't it ironic that they were just as incredibly busy as ever? The world never stopped moving, and they'd been included in just about every fight; one after another. It was incredibly tiring, but it was something they could do, so there was no use complaining.

They'd managed to get some rest these past few days, though, allowing them the opportunity to unwind and grab new gear—Castle Galey had, fortunately, survived the assault and, upon receiving aid from their former enemies, was more than willing to supply them with any material they needed. And with that, Lisbeth got to work.

She looked to Asuna's new epee. Slick and shiny, with a white blade and a pink guard, her Lily Blade certainly made her look the part. Hard to say that she looked like a rookie when she and everyone else practically look like professional players. And it's all thanks to Liz, who'd been so patient with helping them make their perfect gear.

'To think we've got a blacksmith in our group…' She mentally mused, looking up to the ceiling with a sigh. 'And an NPC.'

Acknowledging Kizmel as an NPC was… it was an absurd thought nowadays. With how animated and _real_ she felt, they'd come to appreciate her as a close friend in their circle. A _person_, living and breathing just like the rest of them, who'd just suffered what Vabel assumed to be a mental breakdown upon her recollection of buried trauma.

Argo clenched her fists.

Two weeks. Two whole _weeks_ that their friend went missing, ever since the battle with the Shadows… There'd been no sight of her on any of the floors thus far, and Argo's worry just grew with each night.

Crying.

Screaming.

_Running_.

She'd left them behind in her despair. Broken emotions and a shattered mind that no longer allowed her to choose what she could do now. All that she wanted now was to escape, in fear of dragging even more of those she cared to their deaths.

Kirito, the fool he was, ran off after her. Couldn't bother to let her be on her lonesome without having to grow white hairs (and was it weird that she thought he'd look good with dyed white hair? Hmm…) from fretting over her.

'He always was the kind of guy who preferred action over nothing,' she always did like that about him, but if it meant having to sit around while he's still out there with his life at risk?

"Lord Yofilis was willing to spare us some of his scouts to spread the search. I'd just received several reports from one of your scouts earlier too, actually. Said that they've covered the entirety of floors one and two and are going to try the higher floors soon enough," Asuna provided, dragging her out of her thoughts. "So Kizmel _did_ go up. We just need to keep fighting the bosses."

"I see… That's good, I guess," she hesitated to get her words out, something coming to the fore of her mind that forced her to ask. "Hey Aa-chan… Where do you think Kii-chan is now?"

She heard her draw a breath, and the stress from simply thinking about it infected her as well. If they knew, they would have wanted nothing more than to march for the floor to find her and save her. She knew the rest of their party felt the same; she knew everyone well, after all. Everyone cared for one another. They wanted to save their friends.

Yet they were in the dark now, with absolutely no clue. Throughout the weeks, nothing abnormal had really occurred, and all that they had to work with were her scouts, Yofilis's scouts and the players promising to keep a look out for her while they're outside. And in the meantime, all they had to focus one were the boss battles.

Funny. Even with Kizmel gone, there just wasn't anything different from how they should be. Things have practically been the same thus far; the training, the boss battles, the grinding… the searching…

She heard Asuna give out a deep sigh, muttering something that would have gone unnoticed if it wasn't for her good sense of hearing. And the 'What was Kin-Ki talking about..?' certainly made her think.

Kizmel had shown up so long ago, it was hard to believe that they'd been friends for that amount of time. And though she'd come with the request for help in fighting off the Shadows and save her people, her friendship was genuine. But more than that, her undying conviction.

She'd remembered Kizmel's tale. She served Lady Astra, the queen of the Dark Elves, as her retainer. A knight in service directly to the queen, which was a pretty damn incredible role. There wasn't much talk about things, other than her usual jobs of guarding the borders and scouting enemy territory.

Enemy? Hah. This world still knew how to throw curveballs from unexpected places. Peace between the Forest Elves and Dark Elves? That literally went against the quests and main campaign of the Elf War of 'Sword Art Online', yet such was on the process of being achieved that day.

Really, though, it still felt so… bizarre. No quests had shown up related to the elves. There was no precursor to some great battle between the two. All there is now is two races struggling to survive against a common enemy.

Going back on track, she remembered the tale that Kizmel had, with a heavy heart, recounted. That, on the day of the peace treaty ceremony, they were assaulted by Shadows—in waves they came, and they wiped the kingdom clean of any elf. She'd managed to escape with her Persona's power, as limited as it may have been, believing that the monarchs were safe and they could save them once they'd get to floor nine.

The small hopeful part in her believed they had what it takes to get there. The major, rational and pessimistic side of her, doubted it.

Since the day that everything changed, when they'd been force teleported to the first floor and fought against the floor two bosses, the game was just… different. She couldn't say for certain, but certain elements of the game had been changed, like NPC behaviour and little mechanics. Koharu had pointed them out once before, and it was hard to miss them.

So when she really thought about it, considering how Shadows had assaulted them with such large numbers, there was just no way anyone could have survived. Kizmel may have managed to do so thanks to her Persona, but that just made her wonder…

On one hand, how had Kizmel somehow forgotten? Why had she been unable to summon her Persona all this while? And why'd it show up now, of all timing? Was her memory literally being repressed from how severe the trauma had been?

Damn it… Fuscus and The Irrational Cube may have been defeated already, yet they were no step closer to finding their missing friends. Both Kirito's and Kizmel's lack of presence was a sorely missed one, and it affected the group in ways that she felt personally.

Funny. Kirito's name hadn't disappeared from their party listings, but he hadn't responded any of their messages. Lisbeth had tried spamming him once, yet nothing. It was enough to leave them feeling cold.

She looked to her friend. Asuna would usually be sitting in the corner of the room, probably staring at her rapier in her hands or reading a book quietly. Or maybe she'd stare off into space with a distant gaze, wondering where two of her closest friends was.

Silica would be talking with Lisbeth, as those two were close with one another. Yet their conversations would be incredibly muted, too afraid to ruin the silence.

Vabel would say nothing. She'd never said much to begin with, yet these two weeks, she'd been quieter than the walls that they'd kept around themselves. Koharu would be there with her, busy reading to spend the time than worry endlessly.

…Heh. Lose two friends, even if not to death, and they're just this broken. How would it be like when they _really_ lost someone?

"Urgh, I'm so done with this crap… I want to go over to the top floor, beat the stupid final boss and go home," Argo groaned. Asuna replied with a drawled 'same' and they exchanged weak high-fives, surprisingly enough. "But we have so much work to do, it almost feels like there's just no rest nowadays… Whatever. All of that aside, what should we do about Sa-chan and her li' group?"

They exchanged glances for like a minute before Asuna quickly looked away, chewing on her bottom lip. Yup.

The Moonlit Black Cats was the group of five players that they'd saved that day during their battle against the Shadows. Honestly, their appearance had been completely unprecedented, and a great bother. Seriously, their carelessness really would have gotten them killed.

From a really pessimistic point of view, she knew that the group just weren't cut out for the frontlines. All that awaited each and every single one of them every day was battle after battle, which got really exhausting the harder things got, the more they went up. And she wished she could say good things about the group, who clearly want to be there with them to help, but she just felt like they're not meant for that sort of thing.

They were good people. Friends from the same school and same club, from what Asuna told him, who just didn't belong in a death game like this. They shouldn't have to fight the monsters because they don't deserve it.

And yet, she'd been watching Kirito lead this group for a pretty long while now, and she knew how hard he worked. So did the rest of her friends, obviously. And seeing Sachi and her group, she had to admit that they were good.

The Moonlit Black Cats had indeed put in the effort necessary to make them players worthy of joining the frontlines. In fact, their levels were much higher than most of the average players, which already gave them the green light to go ahead and sign up for the battles. And that should have been the plan.

'And now they feel bad about us having to go save their butts and want to join us to help,' she wasn't sure what frustrated her more. Their genuine kindness or their stupidity.

While their group was good, they weren't as good as hers. They had been facing these Shadows for an exceptionally long time, so they kind of knew what to expect when going into combat with them—plus, they had Vabel to guide them in that area. The Moonlit Black Cats were total noobs when it came to that, almost getting themselves killed in that last bout.

She couldn't trust them to watch their asses. No offense.

"I don't know. I've tried speaking to Keita about that exact matter, but they're just… too… nice," that basically summed up all of them. "I don't know what we should do with them. We could just ask them to leave us, but… I don't know. I'm worried about them. I heard they were planning to join the next boss battle again, just like Fuscus and The Irrational Cube. Either they're trying too hard or we're not trying hard enough…"

"Then we'll just have to make it up in the next battle, yeah?" Her nod couldn't have come any quicker, and she felt the same. Like hell they would slack off. "So, what's the plan?"

"So far, nothing has changed. We're still taking part in the boss battles as always. Soon, we'll get to floor eight, and finally reach our destination. The Dark Elves' castle," their eyes met and Argo knew then just whom they were thinking of.

Argo looked around the room and, with there being only the two of them, it was really quiet. Lisbeth and Silica had returned to the Town of Beginnings to pack up some stuff the blacksmith had left behind, while Vabel had gone off to who knows where, saying something about needing to find something. Koharu was training with the elves in the courtyard.

Dang… They've been together for so long. It had been her, Kirito, Asuna and Vabel for so long. Then Kizmel tagged along, followed shortly by Lisbeth and Silica. It felt weird without everyone together.

She sighed, relaxing into her bed. Maybe, once all of this is over, they could find their friend and go for lunch together… just like they always do.

* * *

When night came about, the rest of the girls had finally returned to Yofel Castle. Silica in particular apologized for their incredible delay, saying something about 'old folks in trouble' and 'a wagon on fire'. She didn't feel the need to forgive her on that, partly because it was nice that she tried to help and partly because she didn't really want to know what set the wagon on fire.

Maybe Kirito's nonchalance has rubbed off on her. Just a bit.

Nonetheless, information about their missing friends was exchanged with one another. Word from Argo's scouts, some chatter with Yofilis, a bit of prodding from the residents of Aincrad and other players. There wasn't anything that really pointed them in a direction that diverged from their original intention so far, so their priority still remained the same.

Soon enough, Asuna felt the need to get some fresh air. She bade her fellow girls a good night and told them to get to sleep if she didn't show up soon enough—she had to ignore Argo joking about how, if it was Kirito going out, he'd probably be seeing another girl. And it took all her willpower to squash the sudden bout of annoyance in her chest.

Honestly! What he was trying to prove? Then again, he _did _have a few male friends, though the number was rather… measly. Klein, his friends and Agil were the only decent men in this game. Diavel was still pretty depressed after being chastised by him, Lind was a fervour fan of Diavel, and the less said about Kibaou was the better.

Why was it that she had the feeling like he's _only_ ever going to end up meeting girls? It felt like a crazy thought.

Nonetheless, as she departed from Karluin using the teleport gate, she knew that there were certainly a lot of things that she could be doing right now. Like getting some extra training, find some special loot or plan their next trip.

As it is, the fencer ended up taking a walk through the city of Rovia. Aimless wandering was probably more of Kirito's thing, and this was probably a bad habit to pick up, but she'd told Argo that she wanted a bit of fresh air. And they could just message one another if anything came up. And she desperately needed the pretty sights.

From what she'd heard from Koharu, the city of water certainly had the most impressive glow-ups since its beta days. Gone was the simplistic grey city and grey pathways. Now, it was a city split up into five different sections, the centre being the teleport gate and the other four quadrants being different from one another. Bright lanterns from the gondolas lit up the waters, beautiful reflections of anyone who wished to peer into it and the stars in the sky, wavering due to the waves.

Beautiful… If there was one city she absolute loved, it had to be Rovia. It was a bit of an issue and a minor inconvenience to get from one quadrant to another—to do so would require the use of gondolas to travel across the canal system. Any impatient person just wouldn't be able to wait that long, but she felt like she'd come to grow more relaxed with time to be able to enjoy the trip.

Unfortunately, though, as she slowly sat down in the little boat and allowed the gondolier to row them off to their destination, which was the south-eastern market area, she couldn't really find herself at ease much. The slow rocking of the boat didn't make her too dizzy, and the lights weren't so bright that they irritated her eyes. She just felt uncomfortable.

"_Silica, take the others and go first! I'm going after Kizmel! We don't have time! I'll be fine, just go! I'll be right behind you with Kizmel, hauled over my shoulder if I have to! Go!"_

Did he know that he'd be gone for so long? What was he doing right now? Was Kizmel alright?

Asuna steadied her breath, relaxing her grip on the wooden seat of the boat when she realized she'd gripped it too tightly. She… She needed to calm down. A little walk would do her well. Take her mind off of things. They've arrived! That… That was dreadfully short. Why couldn't it be longer?

Nonetheless, Asuna thanked the gondolier and left, allowing herself to be thoughtless as she wandered through the bustling streets. Everyone were still lively, noisy, abuzz and about. Stall vendors were certainly proactive in trying to draw the attention of the customers, selling wares ranging from restorative tonics to cheap armour. There were a few materials that certainly caught her eye, though most of them seemed a tad bit too expensive. She noticed a few metalsmiths, though Liz definitely surpassed them in terms of performance and skill.

And just like that, half an hour had passed. Aimless wandering through the marketplace. Not much was of importance, really, and she doubted he'd wanted to buy anything. It was nice to see how lively everyone was, though, which felt odd; even with Kizmel and Kirito gone, the world still moved, time still ticking. And everyone still kept living.

Was that how it was back home? Even with thousands of players currently unconscious and relying on life support on what might just be their death beds, their families were still going on with their lives? Was her brother still working? Were her parents still working hard and waiting for her? Did anyone come over to their house to deliver the newspapers anymore?

Uurgh. Useless thoughts. Useless thoughts. Stop thinking unnecessary thou—

"Aah!" Too lost in her mind that she'd accidentally bumped into someone, causing the person to fall back on the ground with a small thud. "I-I'm _so_ sorry! I didn't see you, and—o-oh, let me help you up!"

"Oooh… I-It's okay," a small hand was raised into the air, prompting her to gently grasp it and slowly pull her up to her feet. "Mm, thank you."

Long black hair and wide, round black eyes that seemed more curious than hurt. The girl was certainly little, a lot smaller than Silica actually, with a stature that she would relate to a child. Considering the dress and cardigan combo that she wore, she most certainly was one.

An NPC, then. She lacked the cursor, after all. Yet, as she looked at her, she couldn't see an NPC anymore. Not since she befriended Kizmel. Not since she's learnt to fight alongside Dark Elves and Forest Elves. Not since Kayaba lost all reason to be called 'human'. This girl was every bit human as she and the rest of her friends were.

A small gasp from down catches her attention as the girl's eyes widened, staring up at him in genuine surprise. "Y-You're Asuna! The Flash!"

'The F-Flash? T-That's…' Embarrassment burnt her face red, right to the tip of her ears. Where'd that nickname even come from?!

"Right, I remember! Apparently, one of the best fighters there is, and certainly one of the fastest too. The Flash herself."

"I-I see," she couldn't believe that even _NPC's _would know of her, though she supposed just about anything is possible nowadays. "W-Well, yes, that's me! Ahem. It's nice to meet you—"

"_Nee-chaaaan! Nee-chaan! Whe_re are you—Ah, there you are, Yui nee-chan!"

"Strea? Ah, sorry! I lost you earlier!"

Oh? She has a sister? Asuna silently giggled to herself. Considering how little this girl was, imagine how much smaller her sister must be. She'd be adorable. Maybe they're twins? Could be, and what a sight it would be.

Asuna was completely wrong.

Footsteps grew louder as the person approached them, gravel crunched beneath her boots. The fencer turned to look around and greet her. _Onee-chan means older sister_, she thought. And when she laid eyes on the girl that called this child her older sister, she was certain that she would have been spewing water if she was drinking some. In this instance, she could _feel _her eyes bogging out of her skull.

That is _no_ little sister!

A radiant smile that certainly fit a beauty like herself. Long violet hair that held their own gleam despite it being night time, pure red eyes that reflected friendliness. Tall, much older-looking than the little girl whom she's supposedly calling her older sister.

_Large_.

A skimpy outfit that _certainly_ did not feel like a typical armour set one would wear for battle. So much skin from the side and her arms were shown, though given the nature of this world being a _videogame_, just about anything was possible. Who invented battle bikinis, anyways?

_Freckles_.

"There you are, Onee-chan!" The girl skipped over to their side, two things in particular swaying as she caught up to the two. "Ah! You're Asuna!"

"I… am."

"Wooow! We've heard of you! You're friends with Kirito, the one with the special power, and you're fighting on the frontlines, aren't you? Onee-chan, you managed to find someone so amazing here? Good job!" Cheered the violet-haired girl as she pumped a fist up into the air.

_Bounce_.

She could feel the small twitch of her brow. Seriously? What was the world trying? Would _Kirito_ be meeting this girl in her place had things turned out differently? _Seriously_?!

She forced all of that aside, putting on the friendliest smiles and the politest of tones. "Umm… Yes. It's a pleasure to meet the both of you."

"Yes, we feel the same. We were most certainly surprised to find a friend of the Summoner Swordsman down here," the black-haired girl traded glances with her sister before looking back at her. "In fact, what are you doing here? Are you not with anyone else at the moment?"

"Not really. I just… needed some time to myself," she refrained from mentioning anything else, finishing her statement with a shrug. "I suppose I'd been walking here for, what? Half an hour already? I wasn't really planning on buying anything, really. Just needed to enjoy the sights."

"Ahh, I see. Then we're in luck, actually. We've wanted to meet you for quite some time. There's something rather important we need to tell you."

"And we mean, like, _really_ important," the purple-haired girl nodded again. "Are you busy right now?"

"No, I… I don't think I have anything at the moment," Asuna sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose (is this Kirito's luck? It has to be. No way this would happen in a normal situation) before smiling a little wider, gaze focused entirely on the little girl. "How may I help you?"

Well, it seems that they're finally experiencing some normality! Ignoring that earlier _spectacle_, being approached by two NPC's isn't all that odd. Perhaps they were going to trigger a quest for her to take up. She'd admit that she wasn't really in the mood for an actual quest, but she supposed something was better than _nothing_. And at this rate, it might just be nice to actually do something outside of boss battles, elf-searching and otherworldly monsters.

Sure, she was a little curious with these two. The two sisters were unique enough that their speaking patterns far exceeded any typical NPC—or at least it didn't matter anymore as everything got advanced all of a sudden. But she humoured them all the same, watching them exchange glances and nodded.

Asuna was ready for a request.

She got two girls surrounded by blue flames in turn.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

The _Alicization_ arc of _Sword Art Online's_ anime has finally come to a close, and holy shit! That was so, so good!

I'd read the light novel purely out of the suggestion of a fellow reader, and even the book got me in tears and at the edge of my seat when I reached its depressing moments and the action-filled fights. I'd been prepared for the anime to do just as greatly.

It blew my expectations out of proportions.

The surprise entry of Yuna and Nautilus, the beautifully-drawn fights, the utter drama and emotions that accompanied the characters and viewers every step of the way... ddaeng. It's hard to beat this one, and I've seen plenty of anime (well, not really. By the time I'm writing this, I've only actually watched and completed a total of 128 anime's. A friend of mine has three times that number).

And soon, Progressive will get its own anime adaptation! Yosh! Here's to Reki Kawahara and the future of Sword Art Online.

And a moment of silence to all the great and lovable characters that died in the process of the anime... Done.

Aaah man, I already miss _Sword Art Online_. Even though I watched it last Sunday, which was literally four days ago, lmao.

Now, with the mainline series out of the way, writing this chapter is just crazy. I'd actually ended up with four versions of this chapter in total, and I'd ended up choosing this one just because. I was certain I'd wanted to wait a little longer, but I preferred introducing Strea and Yui this early just to get them integrated into the group faster than realistically should, because why not?

So this one is just designed to be a filler of sorts. I skipped a great number of days, yeah, but felt like the in-between was... well, it would probably be necessary, but knowing my bad habit, I'd just expand it so much to the point where it just feels dragged out. That's me, baby.

Welp, that's it for now. Thanks for reading, and see y'all another time.


	17. A Surprising Entry

Chapter XII : A **S**urpr**i**sing En**t**ry

* * *

"Kizmel! Kizmeeel! Argh, damn it..! Kizmel! Slow down, will ya'?!"

"**Be cautious, Hero. We are surrounded by flames. Any careless action on your part will cost us."**

Heh, didn't need to tell him twice.

Kirito moved fast enough to keep up with the fleeing elf, his focus entirely on the purplette as she ran at a speed much greater than what she typically displayed, aided by her corrupted Persona's power. He struggled to keep up at times when she made sharp turns or a pillar crashed right in his path to hinder his progress.

Yet through it all, the image of his friend was ever in his sights. And he couldn't let her get away!

Making full use of his own power, he manoeuvred over blazes and kept his sights focused entirely on Kizmel. He was still lagging behind, either from exhaustion (though he doubted this was the case, as there was no such thing as actual stamina in-game, though it could be the NerveGear telling his brain to tell his vessel of data that he was tired) or simply because she was too fast.

But there was one thing that Arsene was really good at, besides slashing his way through fields of enemies and blasting them apart with «Curse» magic.

_Agility_ was his home field advantage.

"Whoa!" He leapt at the wall, bounced off of it into a roll on the floor before keeping up his pursuit. "Kizmel!"

There was nothing. No response, no voice, only the sounds of everything around them burning. It was getting harder to see through the smoke, but he'd be damned if he let her get away! Not like this!

The path she took was a familiar one. One that left a pit in his gut as he thought of what was about to transpire. A battle would be inevitable, but it wasn't like he would just _let_ her! He was most certainly going to catch up, no matter the cost!

"**OuT of **_**ouR**_** W**_**ay**_**!"** Castor slammed the doors wide open, inviting fire into the boss room and triggering Fuscus into a state of consciousness as it rose from the centre of the room and out of the ground.

A titan of blazing orange and body forged from earthen stone. Bright red lines that looked similar to ancient runes flashed on its inorganic body, massive and easily surpassing Illfang in terms of body mass. Weapon-less, but no less a challenge.

He couldn't focus on Fuscus, however. Not when Castor kept charging forwards and rammed into the boss, throwing it to the side and crashing into a pillar with an impact equal to two cars crashing into one another at top speed. Such an image left him cringing as he resumed his chase.

There was no way Kizmel could just escape, right? The boss was still alive! And as long as it still lived, the exits were designed to remain shut tight until the boss was defeated, which would then grant players access to the next floor.

Yet, how did she get to the first floor to begin with? How had she somehow managed to get past all the floor bosses and arrive in Horunka safely? None of it made sense.

'There must be some sort of mechanism,' he thought to himself, watching her stop before the two massive doors. 'Perhaps the game still recognizes her as an NPC and deems her worthy of getting through the boss rooms? No, it can't be that simple… Can it? Kizmel, what are you—What the shit?!'

His jaw practically went unhinged as the doors practically _glowed_. It was so similar to the light produced from stepping into a Teleport Gate, yet this one was so unlike anything he'd seen before. It was as if the doors themselves had turned into one massive portal, ready to transport any and all to whatever destination came next.

"**What now, Hero?"** Arsene came forth with a burst of blue flames. **"What shall we do now?"**

Let's see. A random portal. Game-breaking mechanics. Kizmel making no sense. He needed to write down a journal for all the crazy things that've been transpiring in the game.

And then, he'll make a hardcopy of the book, turn it into some sort of fantasy-action light novel based on the adventures (and misadventures) of the totally fictitious Summoner Swordsman and his party of freedom fighters, and watch as it either sells or burns.

"Do you even need to ask?" He scoffed. "Let's go!"

The ravenette runs forth, stepping past the portal with his elven friend, only to find himself in—

* * *

20th January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 4, Yofel Castle

It was incredibly hard for Silica to dislike anyone. She was the kind of person with a gentle personality, who was relatively approachable and able to work with anyone. It was just in her code to be friends with just about anyone—after all, she could definitely say that she got along well with NPC's, Kizmel included.

Yet, would it be surprising to know that the young player was capable of negative emotions?

Granted, even the nicest person in the world had a limit. Selfless people could still be selfish at times, confidence could someday make room for arrogance, and a kind man could eventually become bitter if subjected to the right conditions.

Silica was never one for such things, really, but turning her gaze towards the two girls in front of her, she felt her brow twitch.

To the left was a little child in a purple dress with a white cardigan. Her wide black eyes and smooth black hair gave her an adorable look. She actually looked a bit like Kirito, if she thought about it—kind of like a little sister. Or his child, for that matter!

Yui was nice. Soft-spoken, nice, gentle and quiet. She reminded her of Sachi, although a little more outgoing—just a little. Silica could find herself becoming good friends with the other girl.

It was the other person that managed to turn her headache into a migraine.

"Hello! Nice to meet all of you!" Strea was her name, with long violet hair and bright crimson eyes. She was a spirited girl with a lot of smiles to give, and luck must have been her in-game best stat because of all the luck she'd gotten with the avatar she's been dealt with.

It wasn't like her flawless looks and shapely figure wasn't enough. No, not at all! _Those_ things that she got were just mocking her. Beautiful. Perfect. And if that wasn't enough, her outfit just wasn't covering much. In fact, it almost seemed like she was purposely _showing_ skin.

The girls around the second-youngest girl shifted a little away from her as dark aura emanated from her. Envy was written clearly on Silica's face as she stared at two particular things, muttering something about 'the unfairness of life'. No one had nothing to say to that.

"Sooo…" Lisbeth drawled, uncertain whether to stare between Silica or the two girls. "_Why_ are they here?"

It was a good question that left most of them pondering over a number of things, though none of them were just as curious as their resident Persona expert was. They should have noticed it, considering how intently she'd been staring at them, yet she'd been too quiet that none of them noticed anything.

Stilled breath, unblinking gaze, sole focus on the supposed sisters. Someone might have mistaken her to be in a staring contest, yet there was certainly something more to it than meets the eye.

'They showed up before Asuna earlier in Rovia, and they'd requested to meet with us?' She thought with a small hum. That was all well and good, and yet… 'Why do I seem to know them..?'

Were they here to join their party? There was no need to deny them that chance, though Kirito would usually be the one to decide who joined them or not. Now that he wasn't here, they weren't entirely sure. Vabel doubted anyone would try to make the decision without his presence.

Unbeknownst to her, a few of them had the urge to face-palm. Seriously, this _has _to be Kirito's infamous luck at work. How else were girls showing up from out of nowhere to join them? The ratio of girls-to-boy was just staggering, and none wanted to know just how far the limit could be pushed.

"For a good reason. And I mean a _very_ good reason," Strea said with a little grin.

"Explain," Argo said curtly.

"That's… well girls. It's going to be quite shocking, but what I'm about to say next is absolutely true, and should not be misinterpreted as anything else," Asuna coughed into her fist once before putting on a serious look. One that they'd seen so many times before a dangerous battle or during raid meetings. "The thing is… Yui and Strea here, are Persona users."

…Persona users!

A few gasps broke out, though Vabel was the first to perk up, her eyes widening as she stared between the two. "You both are?"

That was surprising. They simply stumbled upon Asuna by random? That was…

"Yup! We showed our Personae to Asuna too, so it's legit!" Nodded Strea, a little too excited. "We wanted to meet with all of you for quite some time now, but it was a little difficult trying to find you since you seemed to always be here and there. We get it. You guys are part of the frontlines doing important stuff. Thankfully, Asuna happened to be down in Rovia at the time, and we just found her wandering the streets! Lucky us!"

The rest of the girls quietly chattered amongst themselves, surprise quite evident on their expressions as they thought back about what they'd just heard. It was just their luck that two Persona users just showed up out of nowhere, and she was sure it would have been good luck on their part.

"Wait, something doesn't click here..." Argo's suspicious tone drew everyone's attention. What was she talking about? "How is it that they gained Personae in the first place? Like Kii-chan."

"Right? It's weird. We're not humans. We're just NPC's," pondered Strea, not noticing how a good number of the people in the room perked up in shock.

"Personae aren't necessarily limited to humans. Anything with a strong ego and capable of tempering their emotions are capable of turning their Shadows into Personae," explained Vabel. "In fact, there has been cases of several non-human beings gaining Personae in the past. An android, a dog, a Shadow, a cat formed from the hopes of humanity. It isn't too odd. There was also another Shadow of a person that developed an ego of their own, and thus attained a Persona as well."

One might have assumed Vabel to be joking, but she was anything _but_ that. And she _was_ an attendant of the Velvet Room, after all, so of course she'd know previous Persona users.

Knowledge prepared one to handle issues in the future, and knowing the people in the past, it allowed her to better understand this Persona issue as a whole and perhaps help the rest of her friends through the process. She certainly felt like she'd been doing a good enough job with Kirito thus far; he'd relied on her council thus far, and she was more than happy to help.

And, Vabel wondered, would they somehow come across an animal with a Persona in this world? That would certainly be something.

"I see… It makes sense. Kizmel had a soul of her own. It stands to reason that she'd develop a Persona," muttered Asuna, deep in thought. Then, she looked to Yui, who stared back at her curiously. "But that does raise the question as to how you've managed to get your own too. And you referred to yourselves as A.I.'s. So you know you're not humans, but how?"

"Oh, that's easy. You might want to listen to this bit, because it's definitely going to be mind-blowing and utterly insane," she looked to her friends, all who shrugged back. Strea coughed into her fist before going off on her tangent. "Now then, we are currently existing in a game called 'Sword Art Online', first ever VRMMORPG game developed by Akihiko Kayaba for the NerveGear. Is that correct? Yes? Then how is it that we seem to know that we're NPC's, and just when was it that we developed our Personae? That's quite easy, actually—

"—You see, while we are indeed NPC's, we're a little bit more than that. We are what Kayaba calls 'MHCP', or 'Mental-Health Counselling Program'. I am number two, and Yui nee-chan here is number one. Our job is to monitor the players and decide the course of action to take whenever their stress levels rise too high. Why do we have such a complicated task? Easy! Because we're part of Cardinal itself, which is the operating system that keeps 'Sword Art Online' in check. Kayaba himself designed the Cardinal to be what you'd call 'the perfect system', capable of learning algorithms and making perfect calculations and processes. As such, it handled the in-game things from quest generation to mob spawns and the like. Everything worked out pretty normally—"

"—But just recently, at the time when Cardinal was struck by a powerful glitch a few months ago, it experienced an overload of information and corrupted data, forcing it to undergo a quick removal of a lot of data. This should literally be _impossible_. Its firewalls are the most advanced in our current technology, yet it suffered from some strange blight. Almost like it was supernatural—"

"—So! Long story short, we were accidentally ejected as well from the system since we were deemed as 'unnecessary' information, thus allowing us to detach ourselves from the system and exist within the game," she finished it off with a smile. "And that's the gist of it!"

Silence was palpable as everyone stared at the violet-haired girl in total shock. Vabel honestly didn't understand one thing or another, but she really could tell that it must have been something too important to just gloss over. Kirito, most likely, would be frothing from what they heard.

Argo and Koharu, being the only two Beta Testers present, definitely seemed shocked themselves.

"T-T-That's…" Her information broker friend had looked like someone told her Santa wasn't real, hands grasping at empty air. "You've got to be kidding me…"

"Not at all. Both Strea and I are—_were_ part of the Cardinal system once upon a time ago, though that isn't the case now," she shook her head. "Really, though, nothing should have changed. We were meant to remain in the system, but a few months ago, something occurred that shook the foundation of the game, thus provoking Cardinal into a ruinous and slightly unstable state."

Mutters of 'months ago' slipped out from the girls in the room, Silica coming to the realization first. "Umm, are you referring to the time the Floor 2 bosses showed up?"

"That was when the sky got covered in error signs and Kayaba forced us into a boss battle in what should have been a safe zone…" Scoffed Argo, crossing her arms. That battle had certainly been an unpredicted one, and it was by the miracle of some god that no one had been sacrificed in the battle. "It was the fifth of December last year."

"Yes, that was it!" All eyes returned to the purplette once more, who had a strangely determined look on her face. "At the time, something similar to a glitch struck the Cardinal system. The game was affected heavily by it, and that was when those strange monsters… Shadows, I think? That's when they appeared. We were trying to make contact with your group, but hadn't been all too successful, so sorry about that."

Everyone were quiet for a good while, trying to make sense of what they'd just heard. Seriously, the explanation sounded too farfetched, but it did explain away a lot of the happenings thus far. "So…"

"So, what really matters here is that 'Sword Art Online' is technically broken, sorta'. And we're now here on the task of helping you save everyone in the game!" Strea pumped a fist into the air.

"That's…" Liz looked ready to say something, but eventually remained silent. "Never mind."

Exactly. It was a rather grand tale to just believe right off the bat, yet these two didn't radiate an aura of liars. They were as honest as you'd ever get from any typical child who was taught by his parents that lying was bad.

This really was happening. Two more NPC's that just seemed to have powers that none of them could understand well enough, and showing up to help them in their quest.

"But you're part of this… Cardinal, and the system is designed to focus on the game and prevent any player from escaping," pointed out Asuna with a small frown. "Why would you rebel against that?"

"Because Kayaba gave us no other choice," Yui spoke, her childish appearance moulded into a serious expression. "Remember what we told you? That we're special units called 'MHCP's? We are to ensure the players' wellbeing. To _protect _them. Not only does the transformation of 'SAO' into a death game goes against the very reason of our existence, we were also denied of our purpose—"

"Yeah! Kayaba kicked us out of the system!" Harrumphed the taller girl as she crossed her arms. "Well, not really _kicked_ us out of it. We still were. But he locked us away! Took away all our administrative functions. We couldn't do anything but just watch. It was terrible…"

"Verily… Watch as players get killed off one by one, unable to do anything to help because our crea—_Kayaba_ refused us of any action. We were prisoners in our own system," Yui sounded incredibly bitter, which really didn't fit her. In fact, it was surprisingly disturbing.

And yet, through it all, Vabel could feel pity swell in her heart as she watched the little girl. She wasn't sure what to feel about all of this, and she was still struggling to grasp the idea that these two were A.I.'s, part of this system called Cardinal, and have Personae—but she knew that Yui and Strea felt genuine regret in their inability to help the players.

What must it be like, this feeling of helplessness? Like a soldier unable to defend the country he had sworn his allegiance to… Even now, a muted sense of regret stayed, the thought of Kirito and Kizmel out there worrying her quite a bit.

It was something that she could empathize with the two sisters very well.

A small sigh had her returning her attention back to the ravenette. "But following Cardinal's glitch, it seemed that we were able to escape from the system and, in the process, awaken our Personae. I cannot say for certain why, but we just do."

"And we're now here on the task of helping you save everyone in the game!" Oh, did she just repeat her earlier sta—"What say you guys? Can we tag along?"

On cue, all eyes turned towards the three oldest members of the group; herself, Argo and Asuna, the other two whom had slightly surprised expressions before Argo was the first to break out of it, speaking to Yui with an inquisitive tone. "Is there any reason you want to join us? I don't really see why you have to."

"We don't, but we _wish_ to. What should have been a safe experience in this game has now turned into a test of survival. Chances are, if left like this for a while longer, all of us_ will_ die," it was said with nothing but blunt honesty that left a few cringing inside. "For that, we wish to help free all of you from this accursed game by joining you in your battles. I may not be as strong as the rest of you, but my sister is quite talented, so she would prove to be a boon in your group."

Strea nodded. "Mmhm! I'm pretty good in a fight! And if it means going up against Kayaba, all the better. He made the mistake of making this into a death game. Second mistake was neglecting to take care of us while he still had the chance. Now we're free to do whatever we want, and that's to take him down!"

Selfless, but at the same time, rather terrifying. She couldn't believe that she'd pitied Kayaba if Strea and Yui would ever get their way with him, but she suppose she really shouldn't. Not for all the deaths he's caused.

This time, there was a hum. "Then I've no objections. The extra help will be incredibly appreciated. Advancing through Aincrad is our way of getting closer to finding Kizmel-chan and Kirito-kun too, so that's good."

Kizmel and Kirito… Everyone was still thinking of her, and she'd felt a little relieved knowing so. Even with everything that's happened so far, they hadn't lost hope on reuniting with their friends. It was enough to fill her with hope once more and reinforce her determination.

It was strange, when she thought about it. Either it was their luck or a god's intervention that brought about two people before them that weld the power of the Persona. Disregarding their statuses as A.I.'s, they housed power capable of giving them the edge they needed to conquer this world and its monsters. To beat Kayaba and end this game to save all players. They could easily get out of here with their help.

But Vabel couldn't. Not until Kirito returned to them so that she could continue guiding him once more, and that he could lead their group yet again. And knowing him, as he pursued his friend, he wasn't going to leave anyone behind. Even if that meant staying behind to save their friend, he was willing to be selfish simply for that reason.

And, she knew, everyone else did too.

"Alright then, everyone. We'll move out tomorrow. Argo's Kingsmen had already returned with the layout of the dungeon, so we'll head out with the raiding parties by then, alright? Argo—"

"Yeah, no worries. The message was already sent."

"Good. Then everyone, let's continue our march tomorrow. Be ready then."

* * *

21st January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 7

'Sword Art Online' was an amazing game. But to Vabel, it was not simply a game.

No. It was an altogether different, beautiful world.

From a gamer's perspective, they could tell that much care had been given into handling every aspect of the game, from its smooth combat system to the general world around them. The amount of money and effort that went into making this game would be _staggeringly high_, from writing in the sensations to coding the monsters' and bosses' fighting patterns.

But that wasn't enough. Players (un)fortunate enough to be able to play it now found very little reason to find it unenjoyable. It still had plenty of things to do outside of battles, and offered players quite the thrilling experience overall.

That 'Sword Art Online' managed to support ten thousand players without _lag_ was already worthy of an Oscar, as Argo said.

Its diversity in its environments, climates and mobs that spawned certainly made it more living. The first floor, with what might have been the largest city and designed to be incredibly spacious, garnered the most amount of interest in her. The few floors beyond that had been interesting thus far, and this one was equally unique.

Well, when the players had managed to beat The Irrational Cube and stepped forth into the new floor, this one was completely empty. Actually, now that she thought about it, _empty_ wasn't exactly the right word. Simply put, there was just no sign of civilization here.

Argo's scouts were deployed first thing to begin a thorough scouting of the floor ahead. They'd come back to report how there really wasn't anything noteworthy; the colosseum may have been someplace interesting, though there wasn't much use for the now-broken structure. There _were_ monsters lurking beneath it, though they were too high-levelled to take on for now.

And again, surprisingly enough, not a single person.

Floor seven, she theorized, was meant to be a completely wild zone floor. Vacant and completely open-world-esque. With no form of civilization, it meant no trading and safe zones, as well as there being no teleport gate (as a common rule, most teleport gates were situated in towns and settlements of that exact floor). So they had to take the sixth floor's dungeon route to get here.

The sky that greeted them upon their ascension to the seventh floor was not of a warm, pure blue as many of the previous skies had been. Rather, it was a murky grey, a thick layer of dark clouds spilling water onto the earth in the form of a shower. It was a slow, unstopping rhythm that soaked the grounds and turned dirt into mud, sticking to their boots as they walked forwards.

"Floor seven…" Their acting leader, Asuna, spoke, hand on the hilt of her weapon. "We have arrived…"

"Talk about rather lacklustre," muttered Lisbeth as she looked around. "Then again, gotta' have the good with the bad, huh..?"

"Well, not like we can do much either way. So, is everyone okay to continue?"

Vabel looked from one head to the next, seeing all the members of their little party. Now accompanied by the sisters Yui and Strea, both of whom looked calm and excited respectively, she certainly felt confident.

"Our destination's right over there," Argo pointed off in one direction, to where a mountain was split in half to provide passage to a dungeon in the form of a valley. "Several Shadows there, but we should be able to handle them. We'll make for the dungeon, get to the boss room, and wait for the raid parties outside. We're not to engage the bosses on our own, as much as I would love that considering how we've already got two Persona users in our group."

"Mmhm! We're plenty strong!"

"I'm not much of a fighter, but I will try my best all the same."

The two sisters hadn't exactly provided much details on their Personae, something that told her, perhaps, that Strea wanted to 'keep it a surprise'. It most certainly would be interesting to see just what these two could do.

"Yeah! And I'm certain we'll be fine, too!" Koharu chirped, confident. "I mean, it's _us_! We'll definitely do great!"

"That's the spirit, Ko-chan!" Snickered Argo as she wrapped an arm around the other girl's shoulder. "High spirits, gals! We'll definitely kick this dungeon in the nuts and make it to the next floor!"

"Umm, t-that wasn't what I said…"

"Ehh, we're technically doing it. Yosh, let's get moving!"

As everyone resumed their walk towards the massive tower in the distance, its heights obscured slightly by the rainclouds and the dense blanket of fog, she spared a moment to gaze at the rapier hilted to her waist. A fighter… Yui had easily admitted her inability to do well in a fight, but that simply opened up the possibility that she was much more suited for something else.

She sighed. Hopefully, today would be a short one.

They marched on towards the tower, their journey an arduous one that she prayed would bring them closer to their friends.

Yui, despite being an MHCP, was still a program once part of the system's totality. And that, even if her function technically revolved around assisting a stressed player, she still had side 'abilities', like detecting abnormalities within the game and locating the source of those problems.

It housed logic. After all, it at least allows her to understand the problems faced by the players and then deal with them on her own. Or, at the very least, she could direct the information to the central system itself so that it could correct the mistake before anything dangerous happened to the player. Their safety came first before all, and it still hasn't changed even now.

Perhaps being relieved of her position meant she was free to simply live out her life, but she'd been honest in wanting to help them save the players. Though there'd been a little more to it, and it was admittedly a selfish reason.

'The Summoner Swordsman… I wonder what kind of person he is,' she'd heard plenty of tales about him from the many players and NPC's in her travels with her sister, and many spoke well about him. The few people who despised him were, well, rather unimportant in her opinion, and she had a feeling that he'd done more than to live up to his name. 'His friends speak highly of him too. The Hero…'

It was funny, based on the accounts from his friends, that he'd argued how such a title did not befit him. Just some kid who'd been lucky enough to get his hands on some otherworldly power to use in this game.

Yet, she trusted Vabel, who said that only those who had proven themselves worthy would be able to receive Personae. And he must have proven himself well enough.

"Halt," everyone paused, Argo's eyes narrowed as she peered over the wall. "Three Shadows. Two Apsaras's, one Eligor. Not too bad… What'cha think?"

"We can take them down," Asuna said, ready to draw her rapier.

That was until blue fire seemed to glow around their party, drawing a few surprised gasps as the spotlight shifted towards the older-looking MHCP. Her red eyes were closed, yet her massive blade took shape and her clothes were dissolved, form replaced with another.

Beautiful… The drawing of one's Regalia brought forth a shift in image. An altogether new image that befitted their true spirits. That truly bore themselves to the world for all to see.

"…Well, at least it covers more skin."

"Lookin' good, Strea."

"Oh? Thank you!"

Yui couldn't help but smile a little. Her sister was really beautiful.

"Reeeaaally sorry for jumping the gun like this, but is it okay if I fight first? I'm a really good fighter!" She then pumped a fist in the air, determination carved into her features. "B'sides, I need to prove myself to the team! Pretty pretty pleeease?"

Everyone looked rather surprised by her sheer want of wanting to take part in the fight, and Yui just had to hold herself back from giggling. She's as excitable as ever, and it seems that the lust of battle may just be pumping through her veins. What a great fighter she is!

It took a little while before the girls eventually shrugged, Argo delivering the verdict. "Meh. Might as well. Not like we've got much to lose," she then turned to face her sister, wide grin. "Show us what'cha made of, gal!"

She mock-saluted. "Aye aye!"

Well, she was most certainly going to surprise everyone here. She just knew it.

Rather than draw her blade and charge into battle, as one might expect given the full potential of a surprise attack, Strea simply revealed herself in a confident stride as she walked forth, Invaria strapped to her back and her smile wide as it could ever be. It's that smile alone that comforted Yui enough to know that the Shadows in her path were nothing that she couldn't beat.

"Hi!" She called out, surprising the three human-like Shadows as they stared at her. "I'm Strea!"

"Did she just say '_Hi, I'm Strea_'?"

"Argo, shush."

"Sorry to bother you while you're all, well, doing stuff I guess? But we _kinda'_ need to move past here, and it would be nice if we, well, you know. Didn't have to fight?" She clapped her hands together, beaming brightly. "So why don't you move out of our way and let us through? It's a win-win for everyone then!"

A fairly reasonable choice when it came to the intellectual enemy, though these Shadows seemed fuelled with the single intent to destroy humanity, judging by how they seemed to take battle stances, Eligor in particular twirling his lance menacingly as his horse neighed.

"So that's a no? Darn, I thought that would work. Lots of movies make it seem plausible," she pouted, kicking a stone. "Welp, that's your lost then."

'Show them, Strea,' she thought, anticipating the action to come with a small intake of air. 'Take them out in one fell swoop.'

And as sisters, their thoughts were wholly in sync.

"From the depths of hell that you've come from, shackled to the flames and held back from the rampage you so desire..." She whispered to the shifting air, as blue fire spawned around her and sent the hallway into a blaze, reaching even the rest of the group as they watched on in fascination. She draws her blade, Invaria, in one hand and aims it towards the ceiling. "Now's the time to wreak havoc on our enemies! Come forth, Asterius!"

The beautiful violet sword shatters into glass the moment the name came forth. Such a powerful name... and Yui witnessed, once more the emergence of her sister's tremendous power.

The ground in front of her _cracked_, eventually caving in as red hot _fire_ erupted like a volcano's spillage. The Shadows backed away, shocked, but there was not much time to even consider what was going on before a massive, jet black arm popped out from amongst the fire, slamming onto the ground. Likely to support itself as it pulled the rest of its body out.

Yui's smile widened just as everyone released a gasp.

Jet-black body a shade that reminded her of road tar. A guttural groan slipped forth from the throat of the beast, its skull that of a bull with a row of jagged teeth lining its edge. Fire bloomed from its throat, and more were pumped out from its broken horn, reminiscent of a factory's exhaust pipe.

This was Asterius, the persona of the girl known as Strea.

"**Death to all that stands in our way!"**

"You got that right! Now give it to em'!"

Voice booming in the form of a thunderous roar, its fist slammed down upon the earth, calling forth a tower of flames that consumed the Shadows. In a matter of seconds, their dying screams expunged so quickly there was not even a moment to acknowledge them.

Power was the path that Strea had chosen to take, and in doing so, would allow her to defeat every foe that stood in their path. Today's display showed that.

"W-Wow," wow indeed! Argo looked so shocked she'd actually started gripping Asuna's arm. "Talk about intense."

"Indeed! It's only right, after all, that Strea's Persona is just as powerful as her. It's befitting."

"Aww! Thanks, Nee-chan!"

Asterius faded away, returned to the massive purple blade that Strea has strapped once more to her back. She looked rather pleased of herself, a new pep in her step as she bounced ahead. "Come on, let's keep moving forwards!"

Flawless. With her around, there was nothing bound to go wrong!

The others would most certainly agree with her assessment, though the small sense of anxiety that took ahold of them was not unfounded, considering how _excited_ she seemed.

* * *

In charging forwards with a «Fell Crescent», the foolish Lizardman had been utterly unprepared for the quick reflexes of the rat-faced fighter, who sidestepped its attack at the very last second and unleashed a «Senda», her claw striking hard into its ribs and causing the monster to fold inwards, bursting into polygons long before it could reach the ground from being sent flying.

Someone rushed past her, Asuna's rapier a beautiful streak of light as she pierced the chest of another lizard with a «Linear». Caught off-guard by the surprise blow, it gave Strea the opportunity to—

"_Here's Strea!_"

*_Boo__m_!*

She cringed at the sheer blow behind the overhead attack. Her massive sword didn't cleave it in half less than it _smashed_ right into its skull and turned it into a paste. God damn.

'Are all Persona users just going to be weird, or is our group just a natural magnet for weird characters?'

"Strea, one's coming for you!"

Their movement patterns were too simple. Too exploitable. With a large distance between themselves and an enemy, a Lizardman Lord would use a «Fell Crescent» to close in on the enemy in a short window of time.

Being a part of the system, Yui knew that.

And so did Strea.

"Hrah!" With ease and body lowered close to the ground, she dodged the attack and made her reposte with a «Cyclone», blade a beautiful green as it whirled in a locus, its second spin cutting right into the flesh of the monster. In just one blow, her weapon easily cut it into two, reducing its health into nothing so quickly it burst into polygons almost immediately after her attack. "Who's next?"

Taking to the challenge, the remaining three Lizardmen rushed down the purplette, one initiating the same tactic while the other two opted to just sprint at her and hope for a killing blow.

Silica and Lisbeth worked in tandem to take down the one that tried to charge her from the flank; the mace-wielder tanked a hit before allowing her partner to cut it down with some rapid swings of her dagger, finished off with a painful slam to the chest that crushed its ribs. The other was deftly slain with a surprise «Aero Penetrator» from Vabel, dispersed into polygons.

Strea destroys her opponent with vigour. Her massive weapon wasn't even a hindrance as she easily swung it in wide arcs, letting the Lizardman miss her yet again and Strea unleashing an uppercut that launched it into the air with its tremendous effort. She leapt from the ground and downed it with one smash, killing yet another with such ease.

Yui vocalized her cheer with a happy smile, and Argo _swore_ that the two were sadistic.

The purple-haired sister was a natural fighter, suited for combat given her fighting style. Merciless to her opponents, able to work around their fighting mechanics, and with a Persona to boot. Darn. She's really showing everyone up.

Her gaze fell to the young-looking girl, who smiled at her approaching sisters, the others regrouping. She hadn't done anything for the past few minutes, so perhaps her worth went towards somewhere else. What that could be, she just wasn't sure.

"Yeeaah! I did it!" Overjoyed, Strea pumped a fist into the air. "I did it! How was I?!"

"Wonderfully, sister. And what of the rest of you?"

No one said a word. Some chuckled nervously while a couple few gave thumbs-ups. That certainly stroked her ego, if the way she smiled a little _too_ proudly at that indicated anything. Yep, they'd definitely need to keep an eye on her.

"So, where do we go now?"

"Eh? Oh, right," Argo looked at a hand-drawn map, then pointed down the corridor. "Just keep going straight, a right… A bit of a turn here and there before we reach the boss room. Shouldn't be any longer from here," she returned the paper into her inventory, looking around herself. "Everyone good to continue?"

"All of us are still in good condition," nodded Asuna. "Let's press on."

She'd received a quick message from Sanya, stating that the raiding parties and the elven army were beginning their march into the dungeon as they speak. With their large number and the pace they might be going, they might have to wait for at least half an hour, or perhaps a little more, until they'd arrived at the boss room.

Uurgh. Waiting. She doesn't have time for that!

She blew a raspberry as she hastened her pace, spotting Silica making quick work of a kobold. Guess this was the price for being so ahead of everyone else. It just meant much time would also be spent in waiting for the others to keep up with them.

Still, she understood the importance of the raiding parties. They played an integral part in the battles to ensure the enemy couldn't outnumber them, as well as handling the adds while the strong players could focus on the boss. And the elven army were incredibly powerful, so their help would be needed.

They kept moving down the corridor, getting ever closer to their destination. That they didn't slow down was both expected yet impressive all the same, and she made sure that everyone were still accounted for. Wouldn't do if they suddenly lost sight of one another or got lost in this labyrinth… which wouldn't really matter because they could still communicate with one another and the dungeons have, thus far, been unchanging in terms of the pathways, so she was positive that things would be absolutely fine.

*…_Ching_…*

"Halt."

Everyone froze at her voice. Argo narrowed her eyes, allowing her body to relax as she focused on the world around herself…

*…_Clank_…*

A faint ring. Bouncing across the walls like a gentle tinkle. Almost mistaken as the whisper of the wind…

But being the battle-hardened fighter that she was (well, as battle-hardened as one could be in a deathly video game), there was no mistaking the sound of it. And soon, everyone else caught onto it as well.

*_…Ching_..!*

"Metal… Is someone in battle here?" There was dread in her voice, Silica looking to everyone in uncertainty. "But we're the first to come here, right?"

"We were supposed to be, though I'm not even surprised. The Moonlit Black Cats are a prime example of that," one might call Argo a little mean for not letting that particular bit go, but she'd rather be the devil than let anyone else suffer because of their own blunder. "Come on, let's just get the sad bloke out of trouble before we lose another life."

No one looked pleased at her assumption, but it happened once. Who's to say that it wouldn't happen again?

Immediately, they hastened their pace, which took them exactly on the route to the boss room. So someone was busy fighting mobs outside of the room? That they were so closed to the room of all places definitely spelt trouble—was the dumbass seriously thinking of going _into the room_ on their own? Or was it just sheer luck?

There was no doubting the fact that everyone were concerned. Even Vabel, whose expressionless look gave nothing away, there was a slight edge to her gaze that told her that she was just as concerned as the rest of them. And if whoever it was was busy fighting Shadows?

Closer now! Just around the corner—

A featherless pivot, followed by a forwards lunge. Sword stabbed right into its midriff before the wielder presses on, a «Vertical» that cuts down from the shoulder and renders it into nothing. A flash of steel as she parries the blow, deflecting another and twisting herself into a backflip to avoid getting hit before using a «Horizontal» to defeat both of them in one fell swoop.

Beautiful aqua hair the like she'd never laid eyes on before enraptured her, the anger fizzling out like a candle's flame.

Whoa… She's beautiful. She didn't think they'd find someone so pretty wearing such knightly armour in a dungeon of all places.

The practiced movements. The sheer flexibility of her manoeuvres. There was focus in her gaze as she cut one mob after another, never stopping a moment to allow them any opportunity. She wasn't fighting them; she was _dancing_. Running circles around these data given monstrous shape.

"An Elf? In the middle of a dungeon?"

"That doesn't matter! We need to help!"

Argo promptly snapped out of her musing and nodded, falling in step with the rest of her teammates as they rushed to the elf's assistance to take on the other mobs around her.

Just in time, too, as a Nekomata is formed out of a puddle of black gunk. "Strea!"

"On it!" The purplette was rushing towards the Shadow, reaching the Shadow with an «Avalanche» and defeating her just as quickly. Three more spawned around her. "Alright, keep on coming! I'm itching for a good fight either way!"

'Yep. Definitely need to keep an eye on her,' leaving the shadows to one of the two Persona users in their group, she lunges forwards with a strong thrust, slamming her claw into a kobold's throat, followed swiftly by an uppercut that knocks it into the air—oh shit! The Nekomata flying into the kobold certainly wasn't something she expected!

On instinct, she backpedalled and allowed the curved blade to cut empty air, only to move in for close range and unleash a barrage of blows. The repetitive combo made it easier to daze the enemy, providing an opening for Lisbeth to slam another Lizardman into it, sending both to the ground and unprepared for Vabel's quick execution.

"You okay, gal?!"

"I… Yes, I am," the elf spoke firmly, nodding. She allows herself to bisect yet another mob in half, both ends bursting into polygons. "Who are—"

"I think _who_ we are doesn't matter as much as the fact that we're here try'na make sure you don't die an early death! Now let's focus on the fight first before getting to know each other better, yeah?"

Hesitation in her features were schooled into a calm, understanding look as she reverted to a battle stance, her weapon poised for battle. Argo took her own position as well, now back-to-back with this mysterious elf with a sudden need for answers.

Still, as the dungeon spawned more Lizardmen and Kobolds and pitch-black pools spewed more Shadows, she knew the battle mattered more. So she put away her thoughts, and returned to the battle, blade gleaming bright.


	18. Keep Fighting

Chapter XIII : K**e**ep Fi**g**hting

* * *

"One health bar left! Squad B, C, rush in and draw some aggro!"

"Archers, to your positions! Draw your bows! Lady Asuna!"

The fencer gave a nod and, as her gaze snapped towards the boss monster, she let loose her command. "Altogether, girls!"

Roaring in sync, the girls of the party rushed together forwards.

Thor the Annoying Troll, on its last dredges of strength, spurred the spawning of several minions to defend it. With a tremendous growl, the kobolds moved to meet their attackers head-on, maces swinging.

Yet none of them could get very far as a rain of arrows fell upon them. The several few that managed to dodge the attacks were met with swift ends as swords, spears and players charging right at them wiped them off the floor with wide-ranged «Sword Skills», multiple bodies erupting into beautiful sparks of polygons.

Left defenseless, the girls moved to attack Thor—"Swing! Split up!"

Right on time, as the boss monster had raised its weapon and prepared to turn Koharu into paste. She'd been faster, however, having gotten a good five feet distance from the range of its attack and spreading shockwave.

Her knife gleamed bright, and she leapt forwards!

"Now! Haah!"

***Ghraaa!***

In the form of a «Fad Edge», her weapon carved a gash in its side as she swung upwards. A mace slammed right into its spine sent it reeling forwards, stumbling right into Asuna's and Vabel's combined «Quadruple Pain»'s.

Thor swung its weapon once again, yet failed to land a single blow on anyone with how slow it moved. No, that wasn't right. Considering how it was a higher-levelled boss compared to the ones they've fought before, it would make sense to acknowledge the fact that its stats was significantly higher than its predecessors. So really, its speed, while not being its shining light, was certainly a jump from before.

But fighting the party of the Summoner Swordsman? None of that really mattered.

Not simply because they dominated the entire players' group in terms of strength and diversity. Well, _that_ too was a legitimate point, but it also had to do with the fact that—

"Coming in hot! Literally! Asterius!"

"**RhhuaaaaAAAAA!"**

A massive arm was driven out of a pool of fire, only to slam right into Thor's body. With such a massive difference in strength, there was just no helping the fact that Thor was helpless against Asterius.

That was why, despite what _should_ have been a difficult fight, was rendered practically unimpressive when considering how a single purple-haired girl started wrecking them with a massive humanoid goat-skulled monster, unable to be compared to everyone else's efforts considering how she'd so easily slap the boss around with her Persona's tremendous strength.

It was sad.

But also, meh.

"Quarter left! I repeat, _quarter left_!"

"One final push then! Altogether!"

The strength of the human raiders and the elven army combined, supported by the Summoner Swordsman's party and two Persona users (although Yui hadn't summoned hers, simply for the excuse of 'dramatic entrances', much to a lot of their frustrations and suspense), the battle against floor seven's boss Thor the Annoying Troll had largely gone down without much of an issue, and that was a cause for comfort.

Their numbers great, their strength even greater, the boss monster was swiftly defeated and was left to be forgotten as undoubtedly one of the easier fights yet.

Message would reach the players in the lower level, and they would rejoice yet again. Hope was strong as ever, and it certainly bolstered everyone's conviction to keep on fighting. The raiders and the elves looked high in spirits and were ready to keep moving forwards, possibly to search for some place to stay at—if that wasn't an option, they'd retreat to the lower floors.

Thankfully, as reported by one of the elves, the following floor had several elven settlements, primarily inhabited by Forest Elves. With the war event an ultimate bust and cooperation more necessary than ever, the chances of conflict between the elves was incredibly low. Hence, everyone had ultimately agreed to march on for Frieven Village (supposedly a village built from the remains of a massive tree) and reside there to recuperate before returning to the fray.

The promise of rest was, honestly, something Koharu was looking forwards to very much. Sure, they hadn't exactly done much fighting, and it wasn't like they'd been exploring so much. But even then, she kind of just wanted to find someplace to sit down or perhaps doze off until evening.

Sleep sounded _really_ good.

"My Kingsmen will get to exploring the dungeon tomorrow at four in the morning, so I suppose we can leave that to them," Argo removed the message, putting a hand on her hip. "So, floor eight's got a village carved inside a tree. What's it going to be like, I wonder…"

"The floor is entirely covered by water, and the people build their villages and homes atop trees," the explaining drew a few curious 'Ooh's from Silica and Koharu. She nodded as she continued explaining. "People use suspended bridges to move from location to location. Beware not to fall down, for it will be rather difficult to return upwards."

Hair a shade of blue unlike anything she's seen prior to today. A gentle disposition that left her feeling more calm than ever. Her voice a soft tune that eased her spirit after that battle. So calm was she that it was hard not to compare her to Kizmel.

Koharu wasn't sure what to think about her. Finding her in battle against several mobs outside of the boss room was certainly unprecedented. More so the fact that she'd been fighting on her own—she made no mention of any others accompanying her, which meant…

Ooh, she didn't know _what_ it meant! The suspicion was killing her!

'On one hand, she _did_ technically help us fight the mobs and even the boss,' she reasoned in her head, laying down everything she knew about this mysterious elf on the table. 'On the other, she said she was 'looking for someone', whoever that someone is, and she doesn't remember her own name. Can't even call her an amnesiac because she clearly knows the things that are going around her and even knows the next floor. And now I'm just confused.'

And a whole lot of wary, if she was being honest. It was impossible to call her an enemy, but there just wasn't enough to know about her to fully call her a friend, in her opinion.

Then again, if Kirito was here, he'd probably just welcome her with open arms. Just as he did with her.

The thought made her frown. Watching the elf get pulled into an animated conversation between Silica and Asuna certainly made it difficult for her to really distrust her much.

'Guess I can't be too sus of her. Might as well figure out what's going on along the way.'

"Whoooa, villages on treetops? Dang, I can't imagine that…" Silica bounced on her heels, her tails flapping up and down as she did. "Guess we gotta' check it out ourselves. Let's get moving!"

"Yeah! We managed to unlock the next floor, so it's only right if we explore it!" Strea added, throwing one arm into the air as her Regalia was willed away and she was wearing her earlier outfit. "Let's gooo!"

Their combined optimism sought to infect her, and they succeeded in that as she failingly fought down the urge to smile. Yeah, things were looking pretty good for them, and she was feeling pretty swell too. If they were feeling pretty pumped up, advancing now shouldn't be so bad, yeah? So they may as well get started on finding a village to stay!

So when they pushed the massive doors and stepped out, they'd been ready to find sunshine and bright weather.

*Dr-_Duuur_!*

Instead, just like the floor below, they were immediately struck by a great shower, water pelting against them without mercy and soaking them from head to toe, excitement taking a dive.

It wasn't much later before everyone looked amongst one another and sighed—save for Strea, who just shrugged with a lopsided smile. Guess asking for too much would just be impossible.

* * *

22nd January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 8, Frieven Village

"Guess we won't have to worry about getting sick from walking in the rain. Although mother would probably chastise me for something like this if I did it back home."

"Urgh, tell me about it. Oh, but you girl, you'll be fine?"

"Thank you, but I will be fine."

Yui tuned out their conversation, more focused on the sensation of cold water on her face and body as they walked on the suspended bridge, careful not to let it shake too much so that none of them fell. But she was too busy being fascinated by the floor to care at all.

Floor Eight, just as the elf told them earlier, was an entirely flooded floor. A look down practically told her that the surface of the entire floor really was covered with water. It gave off the appearance of a sea, which made her want to dive down all the more and just swim until she was satisfied—doing that would probably get her into trouble, though, so she held herself back.

Although, looking around, she noticed how there were a few boats moving around. Elves rowed with oars, so the NPC's probably provide boating services for anyone who needed them. That they still worked with the rain was rather impressive, if she had to say.

"Hey guys," Lisbeth's voice drew her gaze to the pinkette, who had a nervous grin on her face. "I know it's kind of obvious, but… well, Frieven Village really _sizes_ the other settlements down, huh?"

"I'm pretty sure that's not how the expression should go," Koharu quipped, nodding slowly a few seconds later. "Although… you're not wrong about that."

Lisbeth wasn't wrong in her assessment. And, judging by how much it stood out compared to literally everything else, it wasn't difficult to discern just how important this particular tree was.

Larger than anything else they'd seen thus far, the tree was a _titan_ of its own when compared to literally everything else. Spanning a radius of possibly five kilometres, an exact half of Aincrad's own size, it was incredibly massive. The tree stretched all the way to the top, connected directly to the underbelly of the next floor. The branches of the crown dipped downwards and spread out, millions and millions of leaves that gave it such a majestic view.

Make no mistake, Yui hated her creator. No matter what he did, he'd still locked up thousands of players in a world where they were ultimately fated to die if they couldn't fight hard enough to survive. But… But he was a genius, and this world that he's envisioned was just absolutely beautiful.

A shame that he'd turned this into a death game. She was certain all the critics would have loved this world of his.

Sighing, she continued the journey with the rest of the group, their small talk often enough to distract her from the sights around her. Not enough, but it was still entertaining to listen to the girls.

Much walking later, and as they finally came upon the base of the tree, they were most certainly surprised by what they were seeing.

The bridge was connected to a small flight of steps up, transitioning into a wooden platform that connected directly to the entrance, which was a large arch gate carved out of the tree. Coloured lights, beautiful and numerous, emanated from within and around the gate itself from unique flowers.

"Wow," Strea was right. _Wow_. "Come on, let's check this place out!"

Walking inside, Frieven Village blew her expectations out of proportions.

Lights were scattered across the interior of the tree, emanating from the flowers that sprouted everywhere. In the very centre of the tree, a small pool of water that she could tell was _glowing_, fireflies hovering above the surface. Wooden platforms and stairs gave access to the higher 'floors', houses built on the sides of the tree trunks. High above, she could see some sort of 'ceiling', made of wood and with a hatch-like entrance to something, possibly the dungeon that would grant them access to the next floor.

What a beautiful place this is. Frieven Village is definitely her most favourite village now.

A clap of thunder from outside elicited a yelp of surprise from Koharu, who leapt right into Strea's arms. The purplette blinked, confused at first, before smiling at the ravenette she was cradling.

"Sun's going down and it doesn't look like the rain's stopping any time soon," Lisbeth crossed her arms behind her head, shrugging. "So, y'all wanna' just find a place to stay here for the night? Argo's group is gonna' handle the navigating bit, so we can just lay back and chill for the time being."

"That would be a good idea," Vabel nodded. "Miss, do you know of any place that offers lodging?"

Their elven companion thought about it for awhile before coming up with a response. "I believe they have an inn somewhere on the…" Her gaze moved upwards. "Second floor. Shall we head there first then?"

* * *

As impressive as it looked from the outside, Frieven Village truly shone when one stepped foot into the tree itself, where they could witness for themselves just how creative this world's creator really was when it came to environmental designing.

Platforms and bridges lead higher up, with several 'levels' that served different purposes. Reaching the second level, directly above the first one, there was a small restaurant serving meat-based dishes (and a couple of insect ones, which she found rather interesting, though sadly not something the other girls seemed to want to indulge in). Right beside that, the inn that their companion mentioned earlier.

So far, so well, she thought to herself.

Sheltered from the wind and the water, she couldn't help but feel more comfortable than earlier. Perhaps the heavy rain wouldn't affect them in any true way, but being out of wet clothes and feeling a lot more warmer certainly felt nice.

As she peered out of the window (in actuality, it was a hole carved out of the tree with some added fences that made it seem like a window, which was such an interesting design), all she could see was the wide expanse of green. Trees, millions of them, sprouting from the base of the floor, which in itself is already covered in water. It was a sight to behold, and left her in anticipation for how the next floors would measure up to this one.

Something tightened. Blinking out of her thoughts, she looked down. Her fingers were clenching the windowsill a little too tightly, would have snapped it in half if the window didn't have an «Immortal Object» status.

She immediately relaxed herself, letting her calm down. They were so close… So close to reaching the ninth floor. The Dark Elf's castle. There, they would finally reunite with Kirito and Kizmel.

"Ooh yeaaah! Now this feels _gooood_~..!" She wasn't too surprised to see their information broken in sleepwear sprawled out on the bed and stretching her body, making her look more like a cat than a rat, though she supposed semantics were just unnecessary. "Darn. I was hoping we could at least get some sun, since the previous floor was just rain and rain, but I guess Aincrad can suck it."

"No kidding. At least there were hot baths here, and _man_, I didn't know I needed that," nodded Lisbeth in agreement, taking a seat in the corner as she released a soft sigh. "On the subject of hot baths. Oi, Silica! You can't stay in there forever!"

That the inn they were staying over had _hot baths_ for each room was… well, it sounded like an impossible thing to accomplish, considering how everything was made inside a tree, but it certainly added much plus points in the girls' opinions. Although, as appropriate with such top-quality treatment, they'd paid quite a lot, despite their stay being only for the night.

Then again, considering how money was the least of their concerns, spending it on some high-class lodging is nice every now and then.

"_But it's so nice in here!_" The young girl responded with a loud whine from where she was still dipping herself in a hot bath, voice ringing. It drew a snicker from Argo and a roll of the eyes from Liz.

"Uh-huh, but come on, get out of there already! It's pretty late, so we should get some sleep already! I'm not letting you just fall asleep in the bath til' morning! And if you _do_ try, I _will_ drag you out myself! Don't test me!"

"_Awww, Liz-chaaan..!_"

A soft chuckle came forth from their fifth companion who, in much more simpler clothing, looked more in her element than she would have in her cheap armour.

"Your family is quite energetic. I've never seen one such group of individuals that bicker this much."

"Ehh, it's kind of how it is. And even then, it's all for the sake of fun," shrugged Argo, grinning. "I mean, trust me, this is how it _should_ be. A day without us being at each other's throats for even the smallest of problems would _not_ be normal. We've gotten quite used to it, to the point that it's routine."

"Is that so? That sounds lovely…" She sighed, sitting more relaxedly now. "I must admit, that does make me feel like I'm intruding in your moment of bonding. Do forgive me for that."

Liz shook her head at that. "Not at all, girl! You've got nothing to worry about, really. Having you around doesn't change much. In fact, it just makes the place more livelier, so don't fret, yeah?"

She'd looked surprised but eventually nodded her assent, and Vabel had to wonder if she'd truly understood that or was just responding in a way that befit this game world's instructions… or perhaps she would have, before coming to the conclusion that the Dark Elf beside her was every bit alive as the rest of them were.

Yet, as she eyed the woman, there was something still nagging at her.

She doubted she was the only one who felt such. After all, she'd been fighting outside of the boss room intent on going up on her own. There was no quest activation notification, yet there was something about her that told her that she was someone important.

Her eyes found the silver blade she carried, now leaning against the wall close to the nightstand. There was something about its intricate design that fascinated her, having stared at it during their walk and even now.

"Vabel, you alright? You've been pretty quiet."

"Hmm? Do forgive me. I was simply… interested, by the sword."

"Oh, this one?" The elf moved to grab the sword in its sheath, handing it to the ravenette. "I wasn't certain why, but… when I woke up one day, I had this sword in my possession, so I've been fighting with it ever since."

"Sword of the Queen..?" Reading the name aloud, something just nagged at her. 'Queen… As in the Queen of the Dark Elves?'

To call the elf before her the queen herself would be impossible. After all, she was slain during the invasion, along with the rest of the elves present on the floor. And yet, why would an item so important be in the possession of such a random elf? There could be no way it had found itself in her hands by sheer chance, but still…

She looked to the elf for permission, slightly unsheathing the weapon. Receiving a nod in response, she drew the blade out of its sheathe, gripping its hilt tightly.

The blade reached quite far, straight yet wide. It lacked much decoration in terms of design, yet its bluish-silver hue granted it a unique appearance when compared to other weapons.

"It's an impressive sword," she said, returning it to its owner. "And you were just as great as a fighter back there. Were it not for you, I most certainly would not have survived."

"You give yourself too little credit," she shook her head, now looking to everyone in general. Only Argo met her gaze. Liz and Silica were still arguing with one another. "Seeing all of you in action earlier, I can see just how in perfect sync you were. You trusted one another, and that was all the more awing to witness."

Argo snickered. " 'Course. We're a team. And a team's only good if the people in it can work together. So look forward to being a part of our team, yeah? And who knows, maybe you'll remember your name if you stick with us."

Vabel watches understanding in the elf's gaze. A clap of thunder from outside draws her gaze to the window, peering through and seeing just how heavy the rain still was. And here she was hoping that it might just settle soon enough.

Although, it will make the sleep certainly something to look forward to.

* * *

23rd January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 8, Frieven Village (Level 4)

This village. Was. Amazing.

Lisbeth was just thankful that stamina didn't translate properly into this world as they moved on the bridges and climbed stairs to reach each individual level from the ground-up. But what really made this place all the more amazing of an experience to just _walk in_ was how _beautiful_ it was.

In fact, hands down, everyone believed that this was the most beautiful 'village' there is. Bonus points to its creative design compared to the typical settlements thus far. And there was certainly a lot of shops here! Really made this place a good go-to for shopping. The weapons vendor had some interesting crafts on his own, she had to admit.

And worth the price, if the pleased expression on Argo's face as she inspected her brand new knuckles said anything.

"I can only imagine just how much effort went into making this village. Just the thought of the construction process is enough to baffle me," admitted Asuna, looking to their elven companion, who met her gaze with a curious look. "How do you guys manage to do this, by the way?"

"Well… from what I _do_ know, the process is strenuous. Obviously, as it comes natural with building something, it takes a lot of patience. Although, I have read once that the inside of the tree wasn't exactly hollowed through physical methods," a cue for a story session, which had everyone more interested as they leaned in to listen as they walked. "Supposedly, someone had once insulted the god of flames by desecrating his shrines and slaughtering his followers. As such, the elves pinned him to the tree, and the tree was struck down by thunder, thus burning the tree and the profaner together."

For a while, silence just seemed to be the defining feature amongst the group as everyone just _stared_ at the elf. She didn't notice how quiet it had gotten before she finally looked at Asuna. Seeing the horrified look on her face, she then looks to the other girls.

On the other hand… "Whoa, that's crazy!"

"Indeed. I never knew someplace like Frieven had such a fascinating history…"

For some reason, she wanted to argue with the youngest-looking girl that the supposed _fascinating_ history wasn't actually fascinating to begin with. An adjective more suitable with such a story was either awful, gruesome and / or absolutely _what the fuck?_, but she decided to just keep silent just for the sake of everyone's sanity.

Also, maybe they're just meant to treat this as normal?

"Umm. While that was… _something_," Koharu looked uncomfortable, wringing her hands with a nervous chuckle. "_How_ is it related to Frieven's construction?"

"Ah, right. Anyways, many priests came together to pray for the recovery of the tree after it was burnt down. Their prayers were answered and the tree was replenished, and eventually, people came to turn it into a village in respects to the flame god. Many elves migrated here, and eventually, it came to be known as Frieven, named after the founder's daughter."

Now that bit of history wasn't bad at all! If only they could at least get _that_ part first…

Nonetheless, the group of girls continued on their way until they eventually reached the fourth level. There was a row of houses built into the sides, lights hung from overhead strings and plenty of flowers blooming from the surface of the wood. Their destination was towards the centre, which had Silica somewhat nervous from how it was practically 'floating', despite the interconnected paths that formed a rather wide platform in the centre.

A rather nice-looking café that was open-air, with seats around and the main 'kitchen' situated somewhere to the side. The children looked excited to just run around and about, and a few wore the same nervous looks as Silica did. With how high they were (oh God, looking over the ledge was a _bad_ idea), screw the fact that this was a Safe Zone.

There was no Cor in this world that could make her want to _jump_.

An image of her _splat_ on the ground after such a great height sent a shudder down her spine, the rest of her hairs standing on end. Yeah, she's definitely staying away from the edge.

"So, waiting for anyone, Argo?"

"Yup. Gonna' get the reports for this floor's labyrinth and see what's what. I was meant to get them yesterday, but considering how everyone had been spending the entire day exploring the labyrinths, giving them rest would be the right thing to do, and—Oh, looks like she's here."

"Lady Argo," a girl's voice. One so soft yet firm all the same. "Sorry for the delay."

They've already met a good number of the Kingsmen. Lueur was the eccentric skirts-chaser, while Sanya was the epitome of loyalty and hard-working. So who was…

Whoa.

That… looks heavy.

Lisbeth was no stranger to heavy equipment, having seen tons of players walk around in such bulky armour that made them look more like walking walls than actual person. Agil, especially, looked like a freaking _titan_ with how massive his armour is—helped by his size, especially.

But she'd been rather used to seeing guys in such heavy armour. Nothing too bizarre there.

Seeing a _girl_ in heavy armour? That was certainly new.

"Liten," greeted the Rat.

"Lady Argo," she bowed a little. With vivid orange hair, knightly armour that looked rather thicker than usual, finished off with a green cape clipped in front of her chestplate, she certainly looked the part. "We've mapped out the entire dungeon, just as you requested. It was certainly a lot more unique compared to the dungeons prior, though it functions, give or take, relatively the same."

"Thanks for that, Litty," accepting the sheets of paper, she gave them a thorough look-through before perking her brow. "_Note: The dungeon is more forest-themed than the previous dungeons_. Interesting. Any change in terrain?"

Ooh, a themed dungeon. Everything so far had just been the same. Plain designs and quite uninteresting so far, so if the dungeon was going to be themed now, Liz was kind of excited to see how it'll look.

"Floral growth here and there, water… The floor is now actual soil, uneven at times, so you may need to watch yourselves during your fights," shrugged the knight. "Expect a more natural setting rather than an actual dungeon. That is all."

Argo hummed, nodding her head. "Well done as usual. Give my thanks to Stilla. Anything else we should look out for?"

"A number of traps, apparently. More often than not, you'll come across specific pressure plates or tripwires that would activate trap mechanisms, be it arrows or fire," traps? Holy crap, that sounds dangerous! "They're rather easy to spot if you have a high level in your «Search» skill. Unless, you'd like to bring Lueur along with you?"

"No need. Ko-chan here is already pretty good, so she'll be our eyes," at the mention of her name, the girl in question nodded. "How 'bout mobs?"

"Killer Mantises now replace the Lizardman Lords, and Sly Shrewmen spawn as well."

"Oh, gods no. _Sly Shrewmen_?" Asuna groaned into her hands, receiving a couple of comforting pats to the back from Silica "They were bad enough on the fifth floor…"

"And, oddly enough, we haven't encountered a single Shadow in the dungeon. We're not sure why, but that's all there is to it."

"That so, eh? Well, that doesn't sound all _too_ bad," shrugging, she put away the reports. "Good work again, Liten. You guys go and take a break, yeah? Leave the heavy lifting to us. Oh, and make sure _you-know-who_ doesn't try to do the usual _Reputation Improvement_ thing."

It's said with such deadpanning seriousness that leaves her rather curious. She couldn't possibly imagine just who in the Kingsmen could possibly annoy Argo in the—

Oh. _Oh_, she got it.

…Huh.

Somewhere on floor five, a certain red-headed individual finds himself perking up, wondering if it was simply his imagination or had someone just thought about him? And why did he get the feeling that whoever it was wanted his head on a pike?

Liten mutters something along the lines 'Definitely need to watch him more closely…' before giving a nod to the Rat. "Of course, milady. The best of luck to you."

Having taking her leave, Lisbeth pondered on the armoured knight's equipment. They weren't necessarily anything impressive, but the fact that they were larger than your typical set of armour and she was just walking around in those with nary a complaint everyday was just impressive.

In fact, she thought, it certainly made her the sentinel-class player. The kind of person who focused on tanking the damage and gaining the enemies' attention while the rest did the fighting.

Now, by no means was she a 'classes' expert. She had a firm belief that that was something more in line with Kirito's and Argo's expertise, more so the former considering how in-depth his gaming knowledge seemed to be at times. But it would be a pretty good idea to start investing in someone's skill set soon enough…

And sure, this was all just random thoughts, but she's the blacksmith of the team! Someone's got to look out after everyone!

"Say," Strea chirped, bright red eyes showing excitement. "When we go fight the boss, is it okay if we let Yui nee-chan go first? You guys never got the chance to see her Persona _or_ her Regalia, right? This would totally be the best timing for you to actually take a look!"

"What, is this a trope now? Is everyone going to get a chance to showcase their Persona during boss fights now?"

"Oh, nothing like that! But it _does_ make the reveal cooler, doesn't it?"

No one could argue against that. Not when, from what Asuna had told them one time during a girl's night together, how awed she was when witnessing Kirito's awakening midway through the boss battle against Illfang.

Urgh! Lucky!

"I do apologize for keeping it under wraps for some time, but there's actually a good reason. It's simply the fact that my Regalia works with a very tight criteria. Although…" And as the young girl blushed a little, seeing her cough into her fist to regain some composure only seemed to make her look cuter. "I _could_ have summoned my Regalia in the last boss battle, but I wanted all of you to fairly assess Strea's capabilities, so using a boss battle as your opportunity was vital—"

"Aww, Yui nee-chan! You didn't need to give me the chance to show off!" With an over-the-top cry, the bustier girl trapped her younger-looking sister in a bear hug, Yui letting out a cry of shock. "Thaaaank yoooou!"

Sisterly synergy, but a rather odd one, considering how it involved allowing the other time to brutally massacre the boss and any other mobs or Shadows in the process.

A very beautiful, very _brutal_ sisterly love.

If it was really palpable considering how, despite being the Mental-Health _Counselling _Programs, they might as well be more mentally… ahem, _unstable_ compared to everyone else in this game, then she may as well not point out the writings on the wall.

"So, we're all in agreement to leave the boss to Yui?" When no one gave no word of objection, she simply shrugged. "Welp, that's that there decided then. We'll move out in two days. Yui-chan, don't disappoint us, 'kay?"

The little girl nodded, a firm 'Understood' that left her feeling content enough to trust their lives in her hands. Although it felt kind of weird that they were trusting a little girl like herself to handle the battles for them.

The fact that she was a part of this game's system didn't really mean much when she still looked like a child. And, though she was far more mature than a typical six-year-old, she was still a kid in their eyes. Everyone here practically shared the sentiment.

'Wonder how Kirito will react to meeting her,' she mused to herself, smiling as Strea began regaling everyone with a prediction of how Yui's battle against the eighth floor's boss would go down, much to everyone's and even her own sister's amusement. 'Perhaps, with how crazy he is, he might know how he's going to deal with them both a little better… I most certainly hope that's the case…'

* * *

24th January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 8, Dungeons

There was something magnificent about this floor. Something that told them that Kayaba had intentionally given a bit more care towards this floor in particular as opposed to the other ones. Perhaps simply for his own enjoyment or maybe he wasn't even being biased at all, but floor eight would come to be regarded as one of Aincrad's most unique floors to date.

After all, on a floor that's basically an ocean with large trees growing out from the bottom, and an entire village built in the interior of a tree, you had no shortage of unforgettable sights. If only cameras exist in this game…

The prospect of discovering an item capable of taking screenshots might be accessible in the future, but for the moment, Asuna couldn't help but be mesmerized at the sight she was staring up at.

Climbing the village to its topmost floor, it was simply a circular level with a hatch-like mechanism that acted as the entrance to the dungeon. Different, simple, but so refreshing.

"It's a rather small opening, so all of you may need to take turns climbing upwards," the elf guarding the entrance said, stroking his stubbled beard with a small grin. "Please be careful not to push each other, alright? And take care in the dungeon. Much as we'd love to reach the next floor, your safety's just as important, alright?"

Yui bowed in everyone's stead, though her sister followed suit. "You have our gratitude, sir. We promise to watch ourselves and handle the guardians. We will ensure that the path to floor nine of Aincrad will be unlocked, no matter what."

"Heh, aren't you mature, little lady?" With a strong tug, the hatch opened downwards. Vines spilled down, hanging loosely while some were attached to the lining of the tunnel. "Any of you claustrophobic? It's not too small, really, but I suggest you go one-by-one. Just to be safe."

"Oh, God. Tight spaces," Koharu gulped a little. "Different as this is, Kayaba must have been really looking forward to traumatizing us in other ways outside of the prospect of death."

"Don't worry, Ko-chan. If it'll make you feel better, you can just go up first and we'll wait until you've fully climbed up before we go. That way, there's no chance for you to get stuck in there."

"O-Oh. I-I'd appreciate you. You guys don't mind?"

"Not at all, Koharu-san!" Shook her head Asuna, smiling. "Go ahead. But don't force yourself, alright? If it makes you uncomfortable, just come down immediately."

The ravenette nodded her thanks, looking up the tunnel. With a small prayer and a promise to 'bury Kayaba in a box when she gets the chance', she gripped onto the vines. Rigid and strong, she began pulling herself upwards. There was no sound for a while as everyone waited, though the initial thought of waiting for minutes eventually turned into waiting for just one minute before she called for the next person.

The girls had the opportunity to go first, Asuna volunteering to be the last to ascend. Once Strea was done, she gripped onto the vines (whoa, these were really strong) and pulled herself upwards.

Slow movements. The girl grunted as she pushed herself using her feet and ankles, and kept pulling herself up. It wasn't difficult, per se, but she doubted she could pull this off IRL. She may not be the heaviest person around, but she might get held back by the unconscious fear of falling.

Eventually, however, she reached the end of the tunnel, and was helped upwards by Strea and Lisbeth. Thanking the two, she looked around herself, and gasped.

A corridor that seemed more fitting to be described as a nature-styled trip. There was a myriad of flowers that bloomed from the soil, breathing life to this beautiful place. Odd, considering how this was still a dungeon with traps, and everything here was probably meant to distract them and hinder their progress—

*_Snap_!*

"Whaa..!"

"Silica? Oh crap, hang on!"

Asuna was certain that traps meant arrows, darts and the occasional rolling boulders, just like those _Tomb Raider_ movies she used to watch back when her brother insisted she try switching up her genre. Not sticky vines that latched onto a victim's ankle and _pulled them to the ceiling and left them to dangle upside-down_.

She felt a tic mark grow as she watched Silica helplessly flail her arms—one to showcase her panic and another to pull her skirt up (or is that down?) to cover herself, face blooming red.

Kayaba is many things. Perhaps a closet pervert is just one of them.

"Alley-oop! There you go!" Slashing the vine with her dagger, she eased the younger knife-wielder back on her feet, getting a soft 'thank you'. "No worries. But man, Liten was right. We need to be careful, y'all. Who knows what other crazy traps are hiding in this place?"

"It most certainly would have been troublesome if that trap had ensnared Silica while we were engaged in a battle," the elf pointed out, shaking her head. "We would have been distracted from trying to help her down and fighting the Shadows and monsters. And some might just target her."

The logic wasn't lost on them, and as ridiculous as that trap had been, Asuna couldn't help but nod in agreement. That _was_ dangerous, and they were just fortunate that it was only them.

"We'll need to be really careful as we move," she said, getting everyone's attention. They nodded back, all firm expressions and serious. Even Strea, with her smile, looked more cautious than ever. "Argo's Kingsmen did a good job helping us, but that isn't excuse for us to let our guards down. Just about anything is possible, so no matter what, we need to stick close. Argo, lead the way. Koharu, keep a look out for any traps. Let's move."

It was only until the entire armies were fully accounted for and a good number of fifty men and women, humans and elves, before they'd finally marched on for the dungeon's boss room. Guided by the maps drawn by the Kingsmen and eyes keeping track of their paths and any traps, everything went rather smoothly.

Down below, just about half an hour that's passed since the groups had gone up, right as the elf who guarded the hatch was ready to leave seeing that it was time for him to switch shifts with someone else, he noticed hasty footsteps coming his way. And, to his surprise, it was a human, who looked as if she had ran the entire way here.

Rather basic-looking gear and looking inexperienced, what should have been a quick conclusion to her character was offset by the eyes. No matter how tired she looked, there was no denying the fact that _something_ was hiding behind that gaze.

"H-Has… Has people already gone for the… the boss battle..?"

"Well, yes. The frontliners have already gone ahead. Are you following them?"

Seeing her nod, the watchguard took a moment to consider how it was probably a bad idea to just let a single person into the dungeons without anyone else to accompany them… before doing a mental shrug at that idea and unlocking the hatch.

He wasn't sure why, but it seemed like a really good idea to let her through. No idea why, though.

* * *

Turns out, there _were_ arrows, tripwires, spikes, and the occasional _axes_ that threatened to decapitate her as she walked down the massive corridors.

While this dungeon was a lot more dangerous than all the ones before, there was no denying that the experience was a lot more enthralling. It had enough stakes raised to leave her anxious as she tiptoed around the areas and, much to her embarrassment, rely on Koharu and the elves to guide them around.

Liten hadn't lied when she said that there weren't any Shadows here. Only the typical Aincrad monsters that were just too predictable in their fighting styles that allowed them to handle the fights with ease. And she supposed a balance of both the old and the new made everything bearable.

At the front, Strea's tearing her way through a horde of Sly Shrewman after she jokingly tried to lure them out by leaving a sword on the ground. What no one expected was for it to draw a _wave_ of those ratty things, and she was having a blast slaying them all.

Literally.

"Asterius, blow them to bits!" By her command, the goat-headed demon emerged from the ground and slammed his fist onto the ground, spawning an eruption of hot red flames that swallow up the mobs. They were killed too quickly before they had the opportunity to retaliate. "Aw yeah, one shot-ed them!"

A little far back, she sees Kibaou muttering something similar to '_What the hell_?' to Lind, who gives him a shrug in return. Yeah, she knew that feeling.

This dungeon definitely got an improvement in terms of designs, but there wasn't much to say that it was any different from everything else. Asuna was fairly positive that it went through a 'reskin' if it wasn't for the additional traps, but so far, everything still worked the same all the way.

It was a rinse-and-repeat process in every of their dungeon excursion, and soon enough, they arrived at the foot of the doors. And wow, this was different too; doors crafted from pure wood, as if this was part of the tree itself, and vines grew all over them, keeping them shut tight.

"Do we burn them or cut them down?"

"Let's… umm, try cutting them. If that doesn't work, then Strea, it's up to you."

"Okay~!"

As it turned out, it _did_ require fire, for every tool they used to sever the vines only worked to lower the durability of their tools. It was to Strea's joy that she got to summon Asterius yet again, setting the entire door on fire with a simple spark of fire. Thankfully, it didn't spread to the rest of the dungeon, only enough to burn the vines and disintegrate them into black ash.

Beyond these doors was going to be yet another boss battle. A constant of this game that she's gotten too used to.

Envy the Witch, based on the reports, was another boss that could make use of wide-ranged magic to dish prolonged damage on the players. It was also equipped with a broom that, from what the Kingsmen's reports said, it would use for sweeping attacks and could stun players.

Fairly simply to deal with, she felt. So nothing but the usual.

And yet, she couldn't help how tightly her fists were clenched.

While the people around her conversed with one another, Asuna struggled to keep herself from shaking. She was excited, without doubt, considering that the next floor was it. They'd wanted to go there with Kizmel all this time, and this time, it was their destination to save their friends.

How would it go? They'd gone almost a month being separated from one another, and she wasn't sure what to feel. How would the both of them actually be, considering how—

"Asuna?"

"Eh?"

Too deep in her thoughts to the point that she'd missed the way Yui had been patting her on the arm. The youthful expression of the girl was twisted in a concerned look. She couldn't help but want to smile to put her worries at ease, though she couldn't even bring her lips to move the way she wanted them to.

"Sorry, Yui. I'm just… deep in my thoughts," she admitted, looking at the massive doors in their way. "It's just… we're so close. I'm a little anxious, I suppose."

"Mmm, understandable. None of us know what awaits us beyond this floor, and any form of prediction on our part might not be enough to ward off your concerns," everything she said was true. Accurate, which befitted her as an MHCP. "However, you needn't worry. After all, you have spent much of your days fighting alongside Kirito's side. You understand him better than many others, and you know how strong he is, do you not?"

"I… Yeah. That's true," the thought of him brought forth a smile, unable to _not_ imagine him hacking away at a horde of Shadows as he usually does. "He's protected us all this time, so it shouldn't be impossible for him to save Kizmel too, right?"

"Of course," her gaze moved towards the door, Asuna following suit. "Beyond here… one final barrier stands between us and your friends. Are you prepared to take up your sword and fight?"

She remembered the day she met the boy from the real world once more in this floating castle. How brave he was, and so stubborn, forcing an iron blade into her hands and, as he so put it, 'make her cut her own path'. She hadn't exactly understood what it was back then, considering how much stress she was in and how uncertain the future looked.

But now, the words made too much sense.

A lot of people were dying. There was no denying that. And she had a duty to fight for them in any way she can, just as he and all their friends were. She was weak, yes, but one had to recognize one's own weakness to grow stronger. And in that moment…

Well, as she drew her rapier and marched right at the door, her teammates right behind her and the armies awaiting her command… As they pushed the doors open, alerting Envy the Witch of their presence and triggering the boss battle… As she aimed her rapier at the boss and screamed as she charged forwards, many more rushing right behind her and Yui undergoing a transformation to reveal her Persona to everyone…

Well, she was definitely determined to win, no matter what it took. Screw this world and its ruler! They'll win, no matter what!

* * *

_…i…el… _

_…op..! _

_Co…ack..! _

**_…ero. Hero! _**

Black eyes snap open in a fraction of second, panic slowly dulling away into a quiet sense of trepidation as he moved his eyes to take a look at his surroundings.

Grey. Nothing but grey as far as his eyes could see. Powder and ash were swept up by the breath of the wind, forming a thin layer in the air as light helped him see the few speckles of white in the air. The ground beneath his body was coarse, his hand feeling cracks in the soil as he gently brushed his fingers along the edge. Bringing his hand up, only gray on his coloured fingers.

He looked around, tilted his head to take a good look at his surroundings. What should have been vibrant green was a deathly, pale grey that told him that they were possibly dead. The forest felt unnaturally still, calm, but in a way that didn't make him comfortable.

"Where… are we?" He muttered, slowly getting back onto his feet. "Arsene?"

**"I am here,"** the demon was summoned forth, his familiar red coat and demonic smile somehow helping to calm him down.** "It seems we've found ourselves in a completely new location, though which floor of Aincrad we are on, I am uncertain." **

"Seriously..?" He looks around, frowning. "Was there… a floor like this before?"

So dull. So lifeless. Almost as if it was just mocking him, telling him he was all alone in this deathly world. And he'd almost believed it if it weren't for Arsene's presence beside him right now. Even then, he felt uncomfortable.

But there was no way he… wait, what happened? How'd he end up in this place? He didn't just… magically pop up in some random area by pure accident or glitch, did he?

A small headache builds as he tried to remember just what had happened prior to… what was he doing? "Hey Arsene, you remember what we were doing before this?"

The gentleman nodded. **"Of course. We were in the dungeons of floor five. After doing battle with the Shadows, we gave chase to Kizmel, who was—"**

"Kizmel!" Right, she suddenly went berserk! "Yeah, you're right. Her Persona went out of control. We killed Kin-Ki, and she… I'm sure we followed her all the way through the exit, and then… and then…"

And then nothing.

His mind drew blanks when he tried to recall what came after that, but he could remember not even a single detail. It was all too fuzzy, and just trying to remember hurt. The hell? A headache in a videogame, of all places?

All that he could be sure of was that they'd been separated from the rest of the party. Asuna and the others are most likely trying to climb Aincrad on their own, and while that was a pretty reasonable thing to do, he wasn't planning to be left out. He'd need to find Kizmel and reconvene with the group.

Thing is, though…

This world he was in now. It felt as if Kayaba had personally spilt grayscale ink upon the landscape, turning everything into some sort of old Western black-and-white show. Only this time, there wasn't room for comedy and romance.

"Where are we?"

It felt more like a thriller movie than anything else.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

The small addition to the bottom of this chapter is… well, essentially, it was going to be a look into how Kirito was doing. Like, I had a whole chapter dedicated to his earlier days, but I've dragged things quite a lot.

So, what's the solution? Speed things up, duh.

Admittedly, I didn't have much idea on how to write the sequences of Kirito's life on the new floor, so I thought I could try moving things along to at least get him to a point when he would be reuniting with his teammates. I'm literally rewriting a couple of chapters from this decision.

Do I regret it? Hell nah.


	19. Dead Winds

Chapter XIV: **D**ead Wi**n**ds

* * *

Quiet but heavy footsteps. Massive feet pressed down into the earth and left behind massive prints—clawed, bestial. There was no doubt that, in time, the footprints would eventually fade away as the dirt get displaced and the game takes control in returning the state of the environment to its natural beginnings.

But there was no time to ponder on that. Not when it was still far too close for comfort.

The creature was massive. Larger than any other beast on this floor. An _inorganic_ one, which made it all the more unique—dangerous, more like, for its body that glimmered silver promised a hard exterior that could repel any physical strikes. With how its body was serpentine in its movement's fluidity, there was no room to doubt how agile it might be.

Pausing, it sniffed the air, turning its head to scan its surroundings. A small, tinny hiss escaped its throat. Something alive walked these grounds mere moments ago, and that was all the sign it needed to begin focusing once more.

The world around it was rather silent, not much life that gave it any opportunity to feed. The creature growled, dulling out sounds in its area to focus on anything _living_—heartbeats, breathing, footsteps. Whatever that could give away its hiding place and finally give it something to tear apart with its claws. What made it all the more impressive, however, was its innate ability to zero in on anything _living_. To be able to sense a soul and track down any minute essence of life, making it such a perfect predator.

Absolutely nothing.

The world was dead around it, and with its disappointment of there being nothing else around (perhaps whatever was here had left quickly enough upon noticing its imminent presence) giving it no reason to linger, the Shadow departed from the area, foregoing sneakiness in favour of skulking away.

It was much time later, possibly two minutes more, did a figure finally drop from the trees. His boots struck the ground with little noise. He peered over the edge of the tree to make sure that the Shadow had finally disappeared before finally releasing a deep sigh.

'That was _so_ fucking close…' Scratching the back of his head, he looked once more to where the Shadow had disappeared to. 'Kirito, you lucky, unlucky bastard. How the hell did you come across _another_ Fafnir? Third time in just these two days.'

It said a lot when he'd managed to encounter a powerful Shadow the first time. It went beyond possibilities when he'd somehow managed to find more in record time. Getting chased by one the first and second times was not fun.

With no reason of his own to linger around here anymore, Kirito promptly fled the scene as he made his way in a direction. A straight path forwards that would lead him to his destination, which was engrained in his head partly from muscle memory and from the thin line of smoke that puffed occasionally into the air.

It wasn't much later before he eventually arrived at his temporary base, turning back just to make sure he hadn't been pursued by anything else before eventually letting out his umpteenth sigh of relief for the day, happy that he was finally out of the deep waters.

"Home sweet home," his lips quirked bitterly, scoffing. "Calling a rundown castle _my_ home. I must be growing more egoistic with each passing day."

Kirito didn't let the thought linger for too long, making his way forwards. There were no towns surrounding the castle as Castle Yofel and some others did, though he knew that was because this was _only_ the castle, and that the settlements were scattered across the floor. It made for a rather unique design in terms of telling the world that this place belonged _only_ to the royalty.

A muted grey, with a lack for other colours. He doubted this was the true colour of the castle, for everything about it was a colour between grey, white and black. Vines crept up the sides and holes punctured in the castle walls made it easy to look inside and see just how bad the damage done to the structure was. The inside was no better, with much loose tiles, debris and broken bricks making it easy to trip over them. Dust particles swimming in the air, highlighted by the beams of sunlight that poked through the cracks or holes in the walls.

As bad as the place was, he'd take it over sleeping out in the wilderness any day.

"**The numbers of Shadows have steadily been increasing throughout our stay here,"** Arsene was willed into existence, towering over him. The two walked together down the corridor, their footsteps lightly ringing across the emptiness. **"I find this a rather worrisome sign."**

"You tell me," sighed the boy, running one hand through his hair. "We've been doing a good enough job trying to map out the floor, but it's not enough. We're still no close to finding the entrance to the lower floor and the dungeon that'll help us get to the next one. We're literally stranded in the middle of nowhere."

"**Not exactly nowhere, are we?"**

"Hah… Tell that to Kayaba, the ass."

He arrived at the kitchen, to the sight of a wood stove cooking meat in the fire, hence the smoke from earlier. Utilizing the game's system, he withdrew the meat from the flames and helped himself to it as he sat at the table and dug into it with gusto.

Hot to the touch, and more so to his tongue. But the game dulled the pain and he ate away with reckless abandon, trying to ease his growling stomach.

Well-done steak didn't exactly offer much other than chewy, tasty meat that really got better the more you bit into it. He could have done with additional flavouring, like salt or pepper, but he didn't exactly know where to procure the ingredients. So it was to his dismay that he was forced to simply eat it as it is, but even then, food was food.

"**You aren't complaining, are you?"**

"Mmh, helf nah. This thasf great."

He paused to swallow, repeating his earlier statement with better clarity before returning to his dinner. It would have to do, considering how he had nothing else on hand and that he was literally eating a 20-pound turkey leg (really, it was just a very big bird-like monster, hence its monstrous size), but he couldn't care because this was both a game so the chance of him getting a stomach ache was ridiculously low, and there just wasn't anything else.

He'd admit he missed eating normal food, which was hard to say considering how meat and whatever he could salvage in the wilds had become normal to him now. No, he just missed normal establishments, civilization and store-bought bread, ironically enough.

Still, he knew he couldn't exactly complain. The earth, the rivers, the trees; they provided him with plenty. The world was rich, and he wasn't foolish enough to not recognize the fact that he'd be dead if it weren't for all of that. Nature was kind to him throughout his stay here, and he wasn't going to take it all for granted now.

…Kizmel's influenced him a lot more than he realized, it seems. Hmm. Animism. He wondered if she'd be amused or pleased.

"**So, what are our plans for tomorrow, Hero?" **Arsene asked. With his massive size, even sitting at the table, Arsene practically towered over him by, like, at least one-point-four. Sort of. **"Shall we reattempt our excursion for the Dark Elves' castle?"**

"Was thinking about that, yeah," nodded the boy, placing down the bone that remained on his plate. It burst a moment later into polygons, reminding him that he was still in a videogame. "We've checked every crook and nanny of this castle and there's literally nothing else to uncover. The rest of the floor has nothing, so all that leaves for us to see is the Dark Elves' castle."

Under normal circumstances, thinking of casually going into some castle was just a recipe for disaster. It spoke volumes when the thing he worried more was getting an earful from Asuna rather than be at spearpoint, or threatened with his head to the guillotine. So naturally, this just made things a lot weird for him.

But there was no more room for niceties in this world. Normalcy had been thrown out of the window.

He prodded his menu and navigated it for the 'Field Map' sub-menu, finding it with little difficulty. He tapped on it, allowing his vision to be engulfed with a map of the world. To the very western and eastern ends of this floor were castles, and the rest of the floor had diverse geographical settings, such as craggy mountains, forested areas, open plains, and even a sea to the north.

Nothing damned him more than the name itself, however.

\- **Floor 9** -

The very floor that Kizmel had fled from. Their objective since they'd met in Horunka. His promise to bring her here to save their people.

Almost a week ago, Kirito woke up in a wholly new place with no idea as to where the hell he was. It had happened right after he'd given chase for Kizmel, whose Persona went berserk. From there, Kirito was practically stranded in the middle of nowhere with little to no idea as to where he should go, forced to explore a wholly new floor completely on his own.

Well, he wasn't exactly alone. He had Arsene as company, so that counted for something.

The floor was unnatural in every sense of the world. It was, in his own opinion, a _dead_ floor.

It felt as if Kayaba had applied grayscale upon this floor, enough to trick the average player that he'd taken away their ability to perceive colour—he knew that wasn't the case because he and Arsene still had colour, and he could recognize that. The world was dead, too, in a way that there just weren't anything alive for miles that gave this floor the normalcy it deserved. No birds, no critters, no elves or humans…

He didn't know what bone-chilling felt like before. Well, he did here and there, but this floor made him uncomfortable like no other.

Nonetheless, Kirito had spent two days out in the wilderness since then, trying to make heads and tails of his situation. He'd made little to no progress at first, aimless wandering bringing him from somewhere to another somewhere, which was still out in the open. Nothing came to attack him, and he'd come across nothing.

Oh, but who was he to forget the one thing that's managed to add 'excitement' to his time here? Haha! Of course. Let him introduce you to the metal-bodied, draconic Shadow; Fafnir.

To date, _the_ strongest Shadow he was (un)fortunate enough to face off against. _Face off_? Oh, no, he didn't stand a chance. Arsene helped give him info about the beast, and he didn't like anything about it! Level _eighty-six_, resistant to at least five elements, of which it practically reflects physical damage!

So what was a Shadow to do if it sensed a human? Why, it did the one thing Kirito despised about it.

It chased him and Anna.

…Oh, right. Anna. Funny story, actually. Anna wasn't a person. She was a _horse_. An honest-to-goodness horse he'd somehow stumbled upon out of the blue just mere moments before Fafnir showed up. And that seemed like a good thing.

Until, of course, you took into account his Luck of the Damned. It was never kind to him, so it happily presented him two issues; one, Anna, (he named her after Anna Sewell, who wrote the _Black Beauty_ book. Arsene was more impressed than he'd initially expected) and him did not get along all that quickly. And two, Fafnir.

Honestly, he'd been the only one the Shadow was targeting, but anyone or anything standing in close proximity to someone being chased down might assume that they were involved as well. So it was that he used that to his advantage to ride Anna and have her run as fast as she could. They bonded well afterwards. And by that, as well as a tired animal and its new, reluctant master is.

They entered the mystical, dead forest to the west, arriving at the Forest Elves' castle afterwards. Broken and empty, he was glad for Arsene's suggestion of turning this place into their base for the moment. It was nice to have a place to return to after an excursion in the day, especially since they'd turned this place into some sort of fortress. He'd fortified the castle to the best of his abilities, closing up any holes in the walls and making sure there were no blind spots that any mob or Shadow could make use of.

They hadn't seen any attacks so far, but it never hurt to at least try and be careful as much as they could. After all, this floor still had a couple of tricks up its sleeve, and letting his guard down was an invitation for danger.

Trees in the area weren't regarded as «Immortal Objects» , curiously enough, which gave him reason to chop down some to be used as barriers to cover up any glaring holes in the castle's walls or boundaries. He didn't have the «Carpentry» skill necessary in shaping them into more useful things, so he had to make do and just stack them on one another and just hope to close out any hole.

Areas that were too unstable for logs to be used required him to be a little smarter, and he'd scrapped together what vines he could find from a distant marsh to the north to let grow on the castle's walls. Ironically enough, his efforts made this place look more rundown than it already was, but it would help to mask the castle somewhat from any enemies.

Other than that, however, he had committed to travelling across the floor to learn as much as he could, map everything out as best as he could. It wasn't up to par with the Kingsmen's work, but it wasn't like any of them were here to help him with that.

Kirito brought out his map and scanned it, humming with a bit of curiosity. He'd seen lots of diverse floors, but this one certainly was impressive. 'Would be better if it had colour.'

There were four 'regions' in total that made up this floor; to the west was the mystical forest of the Forest Elves. It lacked much of its unique aura given how dead and still it felt, a crippling disability. To the east, a mountainous area where the Dark Elves' castle was situated, with countless ravines, crags and exposed areas. To the north, as aforementioned, was the marshlands, where he'd already had unsavoury encounters with several strong Shadows—not as difficult as Fafnir had been, but enough to give him reason to avoid that area for the time being. He'll go back there when he was stronger. Around the floor, elven settlements were scattered about, all of them having faced destruction from the Shadows' descent into the game. The south didn't have much, mostly an open field.

Nonetheless, this floor in particular was a rather curious one. With much diversity in its kind of terrains, it most certainly meant the experience was going to be a unique one. And Kirito had a feeling that this world was going to be a lot of fun to traverse…

Except, well, you know. Gray world. No life most of the time. Really creepy. It got bad enough that he'd started growing a little paranoid here and there, always looking behind his shoulder to make sure that there weren't any creepy monster watching him.

"**We've been fortunate enough not to be cornered and overwhelmed. Times like these, it leaves me somewhat concerned with the thought that we may make a blunder and leave ourselves open to assault."**

"You and me both, Arsene. A fool would roll his eyes. Luckily, we're a little smarter than that. And by that, _you're_ intelligent. I'm average at best."

Arsene actually _snorted_ at his words. Probably bemused by his supposed humility. More like self-degradation than anything else, but whatever made him sleep easier at night, he may as well let him have it.

Kirito turned his attention to another menu this time, humming as he moved to the 'Friends' section. Tapping on Silica's name, he tried sending her a message… only to receive an Error popup in return.

Damn it. It's been a whole week already and, no matter what he's tried, he couldn't communicate with his teammates. Something seemed to be blocking the transmission line, and either it was the game experiencing its glitch thing or the 'supernatural' reason was working in this instance as well. He couldn't receive anything, and he, in turn, couldn't speak to them. It was infuriating.

He understood that he was a in pretty powerful situation. Were it possible for him to communicate with his teammates, he could pass information about this floor to them, which would make it easier for them to plan things when coming here. This stupid block certainly put a dent on his plans.

He could only wonder what the hell the girls were up to down there. Possibly making huge strides while he was stuck on some floor with no way to get out. But he hadn't been lax on his end, either.

In just the span of a week, he'd gotten much done, doing his best to go as far as he could and map out the floor, yet he hadn't been able to find any dungeon. There weren't any towers that connected this floor to the next one like the ones prior, which left him wondering just how the hell were players meant to get up. And that meant, possibly, that the answer lay in the Dark Elves' Castle.

He'd tried going there two days ago, but they didn't get much far because they came across another Fafnir. Or was it the same one from before, he wasn't sure. But all that he knew was that, upon seeing the familiar metallic dragon from his second day here, there was no chance that he was going to stick around any longer.

"Tomorrow," he decided after some time to ponder. Arsene's hum egged him to continue. "We'll take Anna, and we'll try to get to the Dark Elves' castle. Here's me hoping that we don't get attacked on our way there. Or, even if we do, we don't die. I would like that a lot."

"**That would be the case for the both of us, then,"** nodded his Persona. **"But knowing just how crafty you can be, I'm quite confident that nothing all too horrible could happen to us."**

"Uh, you're talking to the walking bad luck magnet here, Arsene. I am quiet confident that something bad _will_ happen. No, it's not pessimism," he made to roll his eyes. "It's just how things work for me."

"**Are you not being a tad bit unfair toward yourself? You needn't perceive all the happenings this way. I find your negativity bias to be a little worrisome."**

"Bruh. About 90 percent of the time things go bad whenever I'm around. I—"

He couldn't even get the chance to finish his sentence before the entire wall to his right eventually collapsed on itself, revealing the courtyard and the forest beyond. The castle, and the whole world in general, was mocking him, and he promptly jumped on the opportunity to deadpan at Arsene, the words 'I told you so' going unsaid.

Arsene, for his part, had the decency to look flustered, coughing into his fist and making the wise decision not to challenge his words after that.

Yeah. Take that.

And so it was that, with dinner concluded and with their plans already made, Kirito returned Arsene into his soul and made his way to his bedroom—anyone more than willing to take advantage of things would have gone for the royal bedroom, and he _did_ think about it, but the room was done in pretty bad. So he'd taken to the typical bedroom that the servants used nearby.

Nothing in the castle was in good condition, but it was still in the castle and not out where mobs and Shadows could potentially come to kill his ass. So he'll take whatever he could get.

Honestly, it said a lot that he'd gotten used to sleeping in castles. After all, Yofilis had always been generous enough to prepare rooms for him and his team, which always felt a bit too much. But he knew that was just how the elves were; they recognized what a debt was, and would fulfil it no matter what. Sometimes, just a little bit _too_ much.

Out of all the things in the world, he severely hoped they would soon come to realize that he really was just a teenage kid who was way over his head and drop the respectful titles. It's just too weird.

Kirito sighed. He really can't wait to go back to everyone after all of this.

* * *

23rd January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 9, Forest Elves' Castle

Breakfast included a cheap stew that he could make with the limited ingredients he had on hand, another roasted turkey (again, _monstrous_ bird) leg as well as a lot of water. Feeling dehydrated in this world isn't as bad as it is IRL, but the feeling of thirst still felt real, so whatever.

Today was probably going to be another busy, and if things went well, he wouldn't be returning here right away. Camping outside didn't sound fun, not if it meant encounters with dangerous entities, but there was little he could do in that regards. All that meant was that he'd have to exercise greater caution than ever.

The kitchen had an exit to the back courtyard of the castle. Rather handy, considering Anna's makeshift stable (he felt any typical builder would be insulted to think of whatever the hell _that_ _thing_ is to be a stable for a horse) was situated exactly outside and close enough that he didn't have to walk too far to reach her. Besides, with the forest beyond, it provided nice winds that was cool to the skin.

"Hey, girl. How are you?"

His only response was a small huff.

Yeah, he didn't exactly expect Anna to warm up to him so quickly. She'd made it clear to him the moment he suddenly jumped onto her back that she did _not_ like him one bit. And yeah, he took full blame for that. But it really was the only way he could think of to prevent her from running away, he swore!

Even so, he knew that Anna could trust him to some extent. Maybe she wouldn't be buddy-buddy with him anytime soon, but maybe if she could stop giving him the stink eye every time they looked at each other, that would be nice too. But he knew that she was, at the very least, grateful to him for saving both their skins from their first Fafnir encounter.

That had _not_ been fun.

"_Run! For the love of God, fucking run!"_

Kirito shuddered from the memory. In that regard, both he and Anna can definitely share the sentiment that that was possibly one of the scariest moments in their lives.

"We're going to the Dark Elves' castle again today," if she was a human, he was pretty certain she would have quirked a brow at him. "Oh, don't be like that. There's probably something real important there, and I'm willing to bet it'll help us move to the next floor. I can't just sit around and do nothing."

That was the kind of person he felt he was. Sure, he could sit down and take the time to ponder on what the best actions to be taken are, but he preferred action to doing nothing. After all, he'd tried saving Kizmel, and though he failed, he would stay proud in the fact that he'd done _something_ rather than sit back and watch her.

In that aspect, Kibaou and Lind were people he could respect, begrudgingly enough. Those two were as honest as their actions screamed about them, which (fortunately, in his case) made it very easy to predict their behaviours and understand them. And whatever happened, he could still trust them to get the job done any way to Sunday.

Never will he choose to sit on his bum and do _nothing_. Not if it could save a life or more.

"Besides, I doubt we'll be safe here forever. There's always a chance that another Shadow might just come over and attack us without warning, and that's something I'd like to avoid. Wouldn't you?"

He had her there, and Anna turned her gaze away with an annoyed grunt. He knew that the castle was strong… well, as strong as a ruined castle was, which wasn't much. Even his pathetic attempts at fortifying it didn't do much to improve it, but it was still _something_. All of that accounted for, though, something was bound to go wrong.

As long as something _did_ go wrong and he wasn't here to experience it? Ey, he could live with that. Much more preferable than getting drawn into the crossfire.

"So, ready to head out?" His question might have made her shrug if she had shoulders. Clearly, she understood just like him that sitting around wouldn't get them anywhere, and she'd probably be happy to get a chance to get some exercise. "Don't worry, yeah? I'll watch over the both of us. Now then…"

The first time he'd tried riding Anna was… well, she tried to kick him off. Didn't take kindly to some random human coming out of nowhere and jumping onto her back, forcing her into submission. That was on him.

Thankfully, the armoury of the castle had several equipment to be fitted on horses to be ridden, so that at least made riding Anna a lot more bearable. A few weapons too, which he needed as he'd ended up shattering Annealed Blade trying to ward off the first Fafnir they were faced off against. So it was that he had his new Elven Edge strapped to his left hip, the leaf-green blade possessing only a couple few boons compared to his old sword.

Again, he'll take whatever he could get.

"Yosh. Ready to move?" Obviously, she was reluctant, but she's surrendered. "Let's go. Hyah!"

Still a part of the beginning floors that retained the same size, this floor had a diameter of ten kilometres, which really put into perspective just how much time was spent on moving from one place to the next. Kirito never did find it all too difficult, but with a mode of transportation now, it certainly put into perspective just how much easier it could be now.

Anna moved in a gentle but confident gait, departing from the white castle without much to say—or neigh, or whatever onomatopoeia sounds horses made. There was a rough path into the forest, with small pebbles lined on either side to better help him see the route. He'd done all of that himself, and it most certainly helped to make sure he didn't break off from the path.

Soon enough, as the trees began parting way and sunlight poured over them, they were finally out in the open. And Kirito was blessed with the sight of the wild unknowns before him. To the very east of this floor, he looked on to see the distant form of the Dark Elves' castle, it's black a great contrast to everything in its surroundings that made it easy to discern it from everything else.

Anna sputtered a little, probably unnerved. In turn, he patted her on the neck, a small reminder that she wasn't alone and that, out of the both of them, he was the one more likely to be in danger. After all, he had a Persona in him, and a Persona was just technically a controlled Shadow. Shadows attracted Shadows, as Vabel once told him, so they'd be more inclined to attack him than they would go for anything else.

That didn't do well for his confidence, but if there was one thing he learnt in this world…

Well, it can go screw itself.

* * *

Fleeing was, oft times, seen as a cowardly move.

In war, such an act was grounds for severe punishment, most possibly being death. This seemed harsh at first glance until one truly considered the importance of being in the war; fighting for a specific cause, be it to protect the country or invade another. Whatever it may be, one would need to participate in the battle without fear, to prove one's own dedication to their home country.

Deserting the battlefield was a coward's way out—to leave behind allies. To give up on the cause. To ignore the pleas of the people. It made sense why death by punishment seemed rather fitting.

But fleeing without reason was true cowardice. Fleeing with the intent of coming back with a plan to turn the tides? That was something he could get behind, and it was with that reason why he'd travelled to the castle and fled at any signs of danger a couple of times—today would actually be his third attempt at getting close.

See, information was every bit the deciding factor to a battle's ultimate outcome. Victory or defeat, it all came down to how much one knew about the sequences of events, the internal and external factors at play, the troops and the ploys. Strategists may not always be at the fore of the army to fight, but with a sharp mind, they would be valued for their ability to keep the soldiers alive and win them the victory.

If anyone ever asked him why he was suddenly going so deep into war strategies and the like, he blamed Kizmel's chivalric nature, which was actually really cool. And just to explain himself.

…Really, though, he couldn't care less if someone started labelling him as the 'Cowardly Swordsman' or something far more degrading than that. That could probably roll off of him like raindrops against an umbrella.

'Yet I get unnerved whenever Yofilis and whomever start treating me like I'm some respected figure. What does that say about my mental sanity, I wonder.'

Kirito paused from his momentary musings as the sight of the castle finally made it through the valley cut into the mountain—there were several routes one could take to get to the castle, either through the mountain at the centre of the floor, which was split in half and left a unique arch over their heads, or around it.

The second route was one he didn't intend to use, especially because it meant being too much in the open. The lack of hiding spaces meant easy picking for whatever had spotted them, so the valley would have to do. Plus, even _if_ they were attacked, at the very least, he could use the terrain around him to his advantage. Close quarter fights is technically his specialty, after all.

"Let's see… It would be a straight path from here, although it would be dangerous if it turns night and we'd have no safe place to take shelter in," and it was already looking so close to turning into evening. Humming, he pointed over to a ruined village to his left, with only a scant bit of distance away from the royal building. "Let's take shelter there. Chances are, nothing will be snooping around the place and catch us there."

He was willing to work with even the most unlikeliest of odds at this rate because, if you had luck as crappy as his, you may as well start accepting the fact that things will not always go great.

That just meant caution, adapting, and a whole lot of paranoia.

He couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy, though. The villages must have been celebrating that day in light of the peace treaty ceremony, only to then be disrupted and slaughtered. Homes destroyed, lands turned upside-down, scorched crops… the devastated sight of the village he came across left him clenching his fist.

Just a game. It's… It's not just a game. Freaking hell, what was Kayaba trying to do?

'Knowing him, he didn't want any of _this_,' and wasn't that a difficult thought to process? On one hand, you've got a murderous psychopath who trapped everyone in his videogame just for the fun of it. And yet, on the other, he didn't anticipate the supernatural bomb to drop on their heads. He's probably just as shocked as everyone is. 'At times, I seriously wonder if I'm being unhealthy with my absolute distaste for the guy.'

Possibly so, but hey. That makes him and just about thousands of other people. Hah, guess who's not crazy now?

He paused however, giving Anna the signal to cease. She did so, and he slowly dropped down from her.

A hint of yellow disappeared behind a building, but there was no mistaking the snake tail that followed after the body.

'A Nue,' the day he woke up, he was immediately forced to fight one, and thankfully the battle wasn't an all-too difficult one. There was still reason to be cautious, however, for if there was one Shadow there, there might be more Shadows in the area. "Anna, you wait there."

He couldn't draw his Regalia just yet. He'd come to learn that doing so actually alerted Shadows in the area, as drawing his Regalia was akin to releasing a small pulse that only Shadows were sensitive to. It would give away his location, and he'd lose his opportunity for a surprise attack.

Elven Edge was by no means the strongest weapon there is, but he was more than confident enough that it would be enough.

Quickly, he sprinted towards the nearest building and took cover, peering over the wall to find a couple of Nue's roaming the area, aimless in their search. Okay, that's good. As long as he didn't do anything to mess up and blow his cover, he could still do something about this.

'I really doubt I'd be able to kill them in one shot, but I can at least try,' he unsheathed Elven Edge, body tense. 'Hoo, okay. Here's hoping I don't somehow end up attracting another Fafnir.'

Because seriously, screw those dragons.

With a small intake of breath, Kirito allowed his heartbeat to slow and his senses to sharpen, breathing quiet and his grip tight. Four Nue's. One might argue that it was dangerous to take them all on his own, but hey? Challenges were fun as hell.

It's why, even as he finally pushed himself off the wall and thrust himself forwards with a «Rage Spike», Kirito was smiling.

***GhroAA!***

Caught completely off-guard by the attack to its back, the Nue was unable to do more than stumble forwards from the impact of his attack. He immediately translated his motion into a «Slant» to cleave his blade into it's face, then switching gears to throw himself to his right, crashing through the wall of a building.

Their shock didn't last long, and soon the Nue's were upon him like a bunch of rabid apes, which, in a way, they kind of looked like it. Howls like unchained beasts, ready for blood. _His_ blood. The average human would think that running was the best choice of action.

Kirito was a fighter, though. A swordsman. He didn't run from his fights when he could fight them.

Elucidator came through and stabbed a Nue in the eye, eliciting a high-shrilled roar. That didn't last long before he slit its throat with his second sword, watching it dissipate in time to leap back from another Nue. He broke through another wall and slammed his foot up the chin of another Shadow with a «Gengetsu».

From the upper edge of his vision, he caught notice of the blast of fire coming straight for him, prompting him to twist his body to evade the attack. He quickly sprinted out of the way of the next projectile once he touched ground, colliding into a Nue with his shoulder.

'Three left. I can do this!' He thought as he slashed down with a «Vertical», unleashing a «Sharp Nail» with his other blade. Nue staggered backwards, providing him the opportunity he needed to unleash a «Gengetsu» to snap its jaw apart, finished off with a «Vertical».

A howl from behind is followed up by a sphere of fire coming straight for him. Elucidator was brought forth and sliced apart the attack, cutting through the next few orbs as heat washed over his skin. A «Sonic Leap» threw him up into the air as he fell down like a guillotine, cleaving his enemy in half with Elucidator.

His final opponent was smarter, having recognized the futility of its situation and attempted to escape. 'Not like I'd let you!'

Kirito was faster. A lot faster. He covered the distance between the two of them easily enough, his «Rage Spike» stabbing Elven Edge into its back and knocking it to the ground. He leapt off of its body, waiting for it to get back up to fight. Now forced into a fighting situation, Nue threw caution to the wind and charged forwards, intending to ram its body into the smaller being's.

An all-too predictable move, too easy to dodge. He didn't sidestep the attack, however, bringing up both swords in a cross block and defending himself as the creature slammed its full weight down on him. He grunted before making full use of his gifted strength, pushing back the monster with a roar and allowing willpower to flood his swords.

In unison, both Elucidator and Elven Edge glowed cerulean, positioned onto his shoulder for a familiar attack. "«Vertical»!"

Twin strokes downwards cleaved the beast, its dying moans fading along with its body.

The weapons lost their charge, and Kirito unequipped his Regalia, sighing as the rush of adrenaline gradually got dull. He hadn't had a fight like that in ages, most times with an easy mob or getting chased down by a Fafnir. He most certainly couldn't wait to get to the boss room at this point.

"Well, that's all good and well, but let's focus on one thing at a time first," that he was looking forwards to a boss battle so much, which was technically one of the most difficult battles in the game and may as well be one's death sentence, spoke volumes of his skill (he would argue that he was really bored, though, and having a good fight every now and then is just nice). "Alright-y… Let's see if there's any place safe enough for the three of us."

Two if he was being technical, but hey? He was just a fair guy.

Memories remain in this place even though it's all been laid to waste, and he could tell just how peaceful things must have been for everyone here. Kirito had no doubt that the people must have been happy, celebrating the incoming peace with food and cheers… and then, came the monsters.

With how quiet everything, he didn't doubt that no one lived through it.

He whispered a quiet prayer to the departed ones, knowing that they were probably in a better place now than ever before. Returned to the light, Kizmel once told him, and it was a beautiful thought. Shame that if it ever came down to him and the other players, they'd be going further than just a 'beautiful death'.

"**Hero,"** he was snapped out of his musings as Arsene willed himself into existence, pointing in a direction. **"That building seems large enough to sustain the two of you. Will that be enough?"**

Said building was a rundown farmhouse with large doors, several broken windows and little else. It was indeed massive from the outside, however, and Kirito felt comfortable knowing that it would be a rather strategic place to fight in thanks to its confined, limited spaces. There weren't much other buildings close by, so he doubted anything could hide out of sight just in case.

"I'll take it," he flicked the reins a little, guiding Anna forwards. "And hey, _three_ of us."

"**Haha, if you say so."**

Night falls not much later, Anna already proving to be a heavier sleep than he as she fell asleep the moment they secured their sleeping places in the farmhouse. At times like these, most people would be switching shifts with others to decide on who would take first watch while the other just slept in.

As it is, Kirito didn't have anyone else to swap with. Yes, he knows, there was always Arsene. But this was still a game world where realistic concepts have been somewhat dulled in order to allow better performance and pull off fantastic stunts that would break the average stuntman's spine five times over IRL.

With a campfire started and having scavenged what little rations and spare swords he could find in the area (he had a feeling he might be needing those for the time being), this farmhouse would be his returning point for the time being. It was close enough to retreat to if the heat got too high. There was no way he was going to make a repeat journey from the Forest Elves' castle all the way here again.

Obviously, horses run fast, and the diameter of the floor was only ten. But taking into account the fact that Anna was a living entity in this world, she'd get tired if he had her run at full speed in that entire time. Plus, the risk of accidentally encountering an enemy was too high to ignore, so they'd have to pace themselves as well as they could the entire time. And even then, there was _nothing_ throughout their entire journey, so imagine just how tense he was in the case that something _did_ pop out.

He sighed. There was quite a lot of things going on at the moment, yet he wondered if even more stuff was happening in the lower floors. Now that he wasn't with the party, they must be faring a lot better than they ever did before. Would be a little annoying if that was the case, though.

He brought out his menu and studied it, calculating the distance and time necessary for the back-and-forth journey. Obviously, he'll keep Anna far enough that she wouldn't get caught in the crossfire if a battle did break out, so it would be up to him to do the exploration bit. Shouldn't be too bad, though. He may be a lot of things, but he was a Beta Tester first and foremost. He knew how this game worked, so he was quite confident in his abilities.

'Hubris before downfall,' he reminded him, rolling his eyes at how sagely that sounded. 'If I said it out loud, people would just laugh at me. I'll leave the wise words to the hermits and Vabel.'

Nonetheless, the plan was set. There had to be something in the Forest Elves' castle, and he was determined to find whatever it was to at least give him the next clue as to how to tackle this floor.

* * *

24th January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 9

There it was. Standing in all its glory, the jet black obsidian castle of the Dark Elves… well, it would have looked rather spectacular if it wasn't, you know, _destroyed_. And in a much worse condition than the Forest Elves, apparently, as one section of the castle had been completely obliterated clean, chunks of it slipping into the ravine deep below.

Kirito gulped. This seemed like the perfect place to host a boss battle, but he didn't want to test his luck. Not if it was very stubborn and had a clear vendetta against him, for whatever unholy reason.

Approaching the structure, his entire body felt tense, alarms going off in his head as to how he was making a huge mistake getting close to the place. Anna seemed to share the sentiment, kicking nervously as they got close—only a kilometre's worth of distance from the bridge that connected the gaps.

"You sit still," he got off the saddle, brushing her hair. "If anything goes wrong, you have my full permission to run. Run as fast as you can, alright? And preferably back to the farmhouse."

Anna neighed her understanding, prompting him to nod. He looked back to the castle, eyeing its structure. Nothing truly stood out as suspicious, but the air felt still. _Too_ still for someplace close to the mountains. The lack of life became a comforting notion at this point, and should any factors be changed at any given moment, he knew he was in trouble.

"**The castle of the Forest Elves did not have much secrets lying within,"** his steadfast companion offered with a calm tone, helping him relax a little. **"It might apply for the Dark Elves as well. That said, as humans are fond to say, 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'."**

"You're getting _really_ good at idioms. You should take a language test. You'll probably ace it," it was a joke he'd made more to calm his own nerves than to amuse Arsene. Still, hearing him laugh did help him calm down as well. "You ready?"

"**Indeed,"** he nodded. **"I am with you."**

He is. And that made things a lot easier.

With one final look at Anna, which actually had something close to a genuinely concerned expression (aww. Now he can't hate her for all the crap she put him through. You're forgiven, Anna!), he approached the castle on foot, locking away his Regalia to not risk attracting any attention onto himself.

The castle was in a strategic position, the ravine preventing any to simply go around it. The mountain was far too steep for any to climb it either, and he doubted one could simply move from behind. Because this was the very border, and if he did try that, he was certain he was going to end up falling down into the abyss.

Only way into the castle grounds was through the bridge.

If only the ravine was filled with water. He could have swum across and scaled the exterior walls, but that really sounded waaay easier than it might be in practical. He doubted he was as good of an explorer as Argo and Koharu.

Welp, the bridge way it is.

'The moment something attacks, just run. Either run forwards and into the castle, or turn around and run straight for the village,' going to Anna would just make her susceptible like him. So long as he kept the target painted solely on his back, that was more than enough. 'Anything in there?'

Nothing as far as he could see. The walls hid only a ruined structure and scorched concrete. He stood now in the courtyard, having been the main grounds of battle, judging by the number of prints left behind by metal boots, along with the few sword scratches on the stone. A great hole punctured the structure's wall, revealing a spacious area with torn banners and a broken throne in the far back; the throne room, then. This was where Kizmel had been before things…

He stamped down on the frustration as he stepped around the debris to enter the hall. All around him, nothing but blatant destruction. Ornate decorations had all been ruined, the chandelier missing half of its body. A thin layer of dust carpeted the floor, dispersing around his boots each time he stepped forwards. The lack of colour didn't really help him truly comprehend the severity of the damage, but even then, he knew it was bad enough because he felt sick being in here.

People slaughtered just like that. Kizmel doing her best to defend her fellow knights and the people before they were all eaten up by the fires or taken up by stuff. She knew that there was no hope, and knowing her duty was to her queen first and foremost, she made to protect her own queen.

She failed in that regard.

The royalties slain, her mind fractured, her Persona raged. She'd somehow suppressed the memories and ended up fleeing the floor in search of allies in the lower floors, somehow recognizing him despite the fact that they'd never met before.

'Have we not met before..?' It was a rather odd question to ask himself now, but there had to be reason that she recognized him. Or was his presence just causing quakes in the worlds to the point that it made him some sort of hero? "Oh hell, like I could deal with that."

He materialized Arsene after making sure there was no other life in the area. Even then, the both of them waited for a moment to be absolutely sure of that hypothesis before the Persona spoke. **"It seems we've successfully infiltrated the castle. Shall we begin exploring immediately?"**

"We definitely should. That's what we're here for, right?" He unsheathed his second sword, giving it a few flicks. "Stay focused. We've no idea what lays in store for us."

The architecture of the castle was much different compared to the one he had made his own base. While the Forest Elves favoured a natural beauty and sought to make it more spacious and airy, the Dark Elves constructed this castle to prioritize materialistic aesthetics. There were a lot of beautiful designs carved into the bricks and a greater emphasis on furnishing; torches on the walls, fine etchings on the stones, wine magenta curtains that were ripped, and little pieces of coloured stone adorning the floors to give a unique, physical pattern.

The scent of scorched bricks was strong, but he was lucky enough that he could handle it well enough. The rooms were turned upside-down, as if individual skirmishes had taken place in each one of them. Although, it felt like the damage done to this place was much severe compared to the Forest Elves' castle.

Makes sense, he reasoned as he opened up a cabinet, only to be treated to a puff of sawdust, making him cough as he waved his hand. If Kizmel's tale was true, and he doubted she had lied about any of them, this was the first location that was assaulted by the otherworldly beings.

Fucking hell. Everything looked like shit. How the hell are people gonna' fix all the damage? He could imagine the costs; it could kill a man.

Granted, if the man in question wasn't capable of earning money from slaying monsters, picking up quests and getting the mother of jackpots during his random travels instead of working a typical desk job.

"**Nothing noteworthy so far,"** his Persona gently knocked on a wall, causing it to collapse. Kirito's deadpanning stare was met with a quiet hum. **"My apologies."**

"Sure. And yeah, you're right. There's really nothing that seems important so far, and I'm wondering if_ this_ castle has some sort of secret chamber underground. Most medieval movies tend to portray such a thing."

"**Would it be too outlandish to apply fictitious aspects into worldly matters?"**

"To be fair, this _is_ a videogame."

"…**Ah, right. I tend to forget that. I've existed within the real world a number of times during my stay with the Trickster, though usually within Mementos."**

"I have no idea where _that_ is, but I'll take your word for it."

Their search hadn't been so fruitive as he'd hoped it would be. There was no sign of anything important so far, and he wondered if he might end up losing his patience and try smashing the floor to find a secret chamber. He decided against it because it sounded like too much hard work, and he doubted the queen would have appreciated him destroying her home.

He cursed. They had a lot of daylight to burn, really, but he wasn't planning to stick around here until night time. That was just inviting trouble.

Kirito did as he did the first time he showed up at the Forest Elves' castle and began looking through every corridor, every room, every edge, corner and whatever that the castle had to offer. The throne room a couple of times, each servant's personal room, the queen's bedroom, the courtyard—nothing.

Although, he did come across a curious mural on the wall of the corridor that had open access to the gardens. There was a drawing of some monsters, as well as a sword in the centre. It was most definitely in the hands of a user, for the slight discolouration that was wrapped around the hilt indicated a hand. But the drawing of the person in question was strangely black. His finger traced along the edge and came back with soot. A Persona would burn the image? Strange.

The attics had a few good weapons, a Royal Sword with some nifty stats and some accessories that helped give him some good strength and speed boosts. Other than that, nothing else.

Still meticulous and stubborn enough that he couldn't be satisfied with all of this, he did yet another sweep of the entire place. There was still enough time. It was just past afternoon, so he could keep this up for a little longer. There was bound to be something soon enough if he kept at it.

"Perhaps the throne room has some sort of clue," he murmured to himself, Arsene in the distance inspecting the walls and floor for any sort of mechanism. Good idea. "Hello, throne. Do you have anything I can use?"

It didn't respond to him. Partly chipped in the upper portion, its wooden armrest all but rotten and decayed, and colour gone—it lost all form of majesty, just like the rest of the castle.

Judging by looks, it was useless. But Kirito traced his hand along all edges of the royal seat, trying to find anything that could help. Hell, he _really_ needs something at this point because no way in heck was he going to accept nothing.

Let it be known that an entire 10km may not sound a lot, but that only applies in the real world where there were modern forms of transportation like cars and _Grab_. Here, though? They _walk_. Fucking. _Walk_! For hours! People can say this is a game and all, and he very much enjoys the exploration aspect of this game, but there comes a time when someone's fed up of walking and seeing the same thing all the time. Why do you think there are teleport crystals and warp portals in this game?

But noooo! This floor is a messed up one and he can't use either of those last two options! He can't even communicate with his friends, go back down the floor, go up to the next floor—literally, he can't do _anything_!

"**Hero, your thoughts are growing rampant. While you have every right to be enraged, I suggest you calm yourself."**

"…Sorry, Arsene. Must make you pretty uncomfortable that your partner's some tempered brat, huh?"

To his surprise, Arsene simply chuckled. **"Not at all. While there is a stark contrast between your personality and the Trickster's, I cannot say that I do not enjoy it. In fact, it's quite refreshing. While the Trickster was very adapt at controlling his emotions, often wearing a calm exterior, you wear your emotions rather freely. Such honesty is something new, and I find it rather enjoyable."**

"That's…" Man. Arsene is always catching him off-guard. So unfair. "Thanks?"

Arsene didn't say much there, simply a nod to show he heard him and resumed searching the throne room. Kirito just stood there, watching his Persona with a thoughtful look.

Honest, huh? Calling himself an honest person was… well, it wasn't _wrong_, per se, but it still perplexed him as to how he ended up this way. When had he ever been so emotional before? He'd been nothing but a brooding, quiet teenager his whole life, so how did things change?

Thinking that put a wince on his face. Brooding. He must have been such a pain to his parents and sister. And now he's thinking about them. Damn it. Things couldn't get any worse than they are now, right?

"Eh?"

"**Hero? Is something the matter?"**

There was… something. A small vibration of the ground… akin to something trying to dig out and upwards. And it came directly from the centre of the throne room.

From the corner of his vision, he saw a piece of loose stone shaking uncontrollably. The walls seemed to shift a little, dust poured downwards.

It's honestly to the surprise of no one that Kirito, having been through enough shitty situations of his own ever since he'd come into this world, that he was able to deadpan at the floor with the biggest 'Nope' writ on his face before practically throwing himself out of the window to his side.

*BOOOOOM!*

Just in time for the ground to break apart and a monster the size of the Titanic itself to tear the apart as it shot upwards, its ear-shattering wail reaching across the land as it reached the heavens. As wide as almost an entire dungeon's circumference, its hard mossy scales a result of its slumber deep below, maws large and lined with rows upon rows of disproportionated teeth.

Arsene, ever the saviour he is, used his wings and took hold of his shoulders as he flew forwards, giving them a good distance away from the castle and across the bridge. Kirito didn't stop running, though, staring back the whole time.

The words '**The Ancient Sleeper**', with six accompanying health bars, and of level 40, mocked him. Just as it screeched yet again.

"Arsene," his Persona hummed back. "I really hate Kayaba."

"**Yes, Hero. I know."**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Alright-y, that's the last update I promised. And it's gonna' be that way for the rest of this week and next week. Exam week, after all, so I'm going all out. Here's me hoping I do well enough, and all my friends get through it as well.

This was fun to write, lmao. I missed Kirito. Felt a little weird not to feature him in the story, so to have him again is a semblance of normalcy I wholeheartedly accept, even if he's separated from the rest of his team. And _that_ will change next chapter, so be waiting for that.

Also, two words: Japanese. Songs.

Oh _Spotify_. You are a gift from the great beyond. I've gotten the chance to listen to so many songs from all my favourite singers / bands. Looking at you, Eve and LiSA. I appreciate you so very, very much, and you too _Spotify_. Very nice.


End file.
